


shout out to my ex (you're really quite the man)

by rvlouvie



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: AU, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, a rom-com gone wrong, im terrible at tags and also at writing, there's a bunch of other idols and pairings that aren't actually important to the plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2020-08-18 21:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20198176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rvlouvie/pseuds/rvlouvie
Summary: "I guess you’re going to find out sooner or later so might as well.” She takes a deep breath and keeps her eyes on the floor. “There’s something I didn’t tell you when I invited you here.”Seungwan’s about to crack a joke on how Sooyoung can have the saving door if the boat ends up crashing Titanic-style when the girl’s next words come out in a rush. “This is my honeymoon gift. Well, it was.”Seungwan blinks.“Honeymoon?”-When Sooyoung’s (ex)fiancé dumps her for a job offer a few days before their wedding, she’s left with a broken heart and a pair of non-refundable cruise tickets. Enter Son Seungwan, childhood best friend in the extreme need of vacation. If the price to pay is to be a pretend wife for a few days, well — what’s the worst thing that could happen?





	1. Chapter 1

I.

“Miss Park, someone wishes to speak with you on line 4.” 

Sooyoung looks up from the papers she had been working on for the past hour and smiles at the head peeking through her door. “Thank you for letting me know, Chenle. It’ll just be a minute.” 

“You’re welcome!” The boy replies and turns to leave. Sooyoung has a soft spot for that intern ever since he got to the firm last month. Not that anyone has to know that since she’s not supposed to play favorites. 

She caps her pen after signing some of the documents on her most recent case and picks up the phone. “Hello, this is Park Sooyoung. Who am i talking to?”

A cheerful voice greets her on the other side. “Good evening Miss Park! I’m calling from Beautiful Blossoms to let you know that all the adjustments have been made regarding the request you sent us for your event.”

“That’s wonderful!” Sooyoung replies, relieved. The request was for the whole flower arrangements to be changed last minute to match with the new color palette. She had been worried that they wouldn’t be ready on time but now it seems like there’s one weight less off her back. 

Sooyoung thanks the employee and proceeds to hang up. Taking a quick look at the clock, she realizes that it’s almost time to leave. The skies are turning dark, the sun barely shining through the window in her office. It’s a beautiful view. She takes a moment to think about how her life seems to be exactly where she wishes it would be — she had managed to snatch a nice job fresh out of college, she’s got a bunch of friends who care for her, a lovely apartment to go home to and most importantly: she’s getting married.

It feels surreal every time she remembers that in just 2 weeks she’ll be walking down the aisle, all dressed in white in front of everyone she loves, to marry the man she’s been sharing her life with for the past 4 years. It’s as exciting as it is scary, but Sooyoung wouldn’t trade it for the world.

-

“I can’t believe you’re making me get another dress just because the one i already have doesn’t match the new palette.” Momo complains as they browse through the boutique.

“I can ask someone else to be my maid of honor if you’d like.” Sooyoung raises her eyebrows questioningly.

“Ugh, you’re lucky i love you. Also, that the menu for the wedding looks so good.” 

Hirai Momo had been Sooyoung’s best friend ever since her first year of college. She had transferred from Japan to become an economics major, but by some act of destiny they got paired up as roommates. They lived together for 3 years in the uni dorms until Sooyoung decided to move in with her boyfriend-now-fiancé. However friendship never withered despite them not living together and now Momo had the distinction (even if she complained about it more often than not) of being her maid of honor.

“Why’d you change it so last minute, anyway?” Momo asks as they leave the store where they’d finally found a dress she’d liked enough and that Sooyoung had approved of. 

“I don’t know. Just felt like it suited our relationship better.” Sooyoung replies, shrugging. 

“Seems kind of out of character for you. But that’s why you’re the bride and you can do whatever you want.” She smiles softly. “You up for some lunch?”

“Only if you’re paying.”

Momo rolls her eyes playfully. “I’ll think about it.” 

-

Supervising wedding preparations and balancing daily life was proving to be as hell, so Sooyoung was thankful she had a routine to keep things under control.

The tv was set on low volume as she cooked dinner. It wasn’t her strongest suit but Dowhan and her had set the tradition of dining together every night unless something came up for either of them. They would take turns being in charge of the food, sometimes ordering takeout when both were too tired to cook or if they just weren’t feeling up to it. Today it was Sooyoung’s turn and since she’d managed to leave the office a little early, she had taken a quick trip to the market to get some extra wine. She was feeling quite inspired these days.

Her mind was running at a hundred miles per hour, thinking about the buffet and how she had to call for confirmation of everything tomorrow when the door clicked open. She turned around and saw her fiancé getting into their home, hair disheveled and eyes tired. “Hey darling. Long day?” 

“Yeah.” Dowhan replies, taking off his coat and shoes. “Lots to do at the office.”

“Oh no. Well, i hope dinner makes you feel better. It’s almost ready.” Sooyoung says as she walks over and pats his face.

“Thank you. I’m gonna go take a shower and then we’ll eat, okay?” He says but the tone of his voice is a little off. Sooyoung tries not to think too much of it.

“Sure. Take as much time as you need.” She smiles reassuringly.

Dowhan is quieter than usual that night, barely responding to whatever Sooyoung asks him and not really looking her in the eye. She can’t help but feel a pang of worry. Sooyoung is his fiancée after all, she should know what’s going on. She decides not to press the matter though, since Dowhan probably has a lot on his plate already. She’s sure than when the time comes, he’ll tell her if something’s happening.

-

“Dowhan’s acting strange.” Sooyoung tells Momo a few days later. 

They’re having lunch with another one of their friends, Juyeon. She was a communications student and became Momo’s roommate when Sooyoung had moved out. The older girls were out of college now but the three of them had made a tight knit ever since, to the point that Juyeon was one of her bridesmaids too. 

Sooyoung was catching them up on the situation with her fiancé. Apparently whatever had been making him upset that night hadn’t stopped, since he was still behaving different than usual. Sooyoung had been hoping that it was pre-wedding nerves mixed with job stress, but the way he was acting didn’t give off that vibe at all. 

“Why don’t you ask him what’s going on?” Momo asks through a mouthful of pie. She had been listening carefully to her friend’s ramblings and yet ended up pointing the obvious.

“I can’t believe i didn’t think about that before. Thank you, Momo, you’re a genius.” She replies sarcastically. Momo just sticks her tongue out. “No, but really. I was trying to give him space but it’s starting to worry me. The wedding’s next week, so i think i’m gonna ask him tomorrow if he doesn’t tell me first.” 

“I’m sure it’s nothing. But you should ask him anyway since it’s getting you all jittery too. You don’t want all that right before one of the most important days of your life.” The japanese girl finishes her dessert and a smiles forms on her lips. “It’s so soon already.”

“We’re like those girls in movies that can’t talk about anything else!” Juyeon chimes in. “I say ask him. Whatever it is, at least you’ll know what’s going on and maybe you can help him solve it. No clouds are allowed to rain in your parade.” 

Juyeon’s enthusiasm is contagious and even though Sooyoung is worried, she doesn’t think it’s possible that something could ruin this for her.

-

Turns out that Sooyoung was wrong.

There was, in fact, something that could ruin her wedding: her fiancé dumping her five days before it.

-

The day after meeting with her friends, she had decided to confront Dowhan about whatever was going in these past few days. She’d planned on doing it during dinner, since it was the moment where they saw the most of each other, without the rush of work or any other stuff that could come up.

Dowhan had been eating his food in silence, which wasn’t anything out of the ordinary lately, while Sooyoung just stared at him. It felt so odd that they were interacting like this. She would’ve guessed that in the eve of their wedding they’d be more clingy and in love than ever. So she’d come to the conclusion that enough was enough and that they needed to have a talk. 

“Dowhan.”

Sooyoung broke the silence, making him look up from his plate. “I’ve been trying to give you space but i can’t take it anymore. You need to tell me why you’ve been acting so off lately. Are you alright?” Her tone is soft, caring. She didn’t want to corner him.

Dowhan cleaned his mouth with a napkin and stared out the window of their living room. The stars were shining outside, the clear summer skies leaving everything on sight. “I need to tell you something, Sooyoung.” 

Finally, she thought. “You know you can tell me anything. I’m here for you.”

His next words came through gritted teeth, like each one took more effort than the last. “I know. And you know that i love you, right? You’re an incredible girl and one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Nothing could ever change that.”

“Okay.” Sooyoung’s heart began to race up, her gut clenching because nothing said in that tone, mixed with the distress on her fiancé’s face, could be good. 

Dowhan shut his eyes, jaw clenching. “I got a job offer. In America.” 

Sooyoung’s first reaction had been surprise, of course. Out of all the things she had imagined Dowhan would tell her, that one was far off the list. The second one was delight — if he got a job overseas, that could only mean that he was doing great and that his company had chosen to promote him. She felt pride bloom in her chest for his fiancé, she was glad to have such a hard working man by her side.

The third one was confusion.

“A job? In America?” It seemed like that was the one emotion that she’d managed to voice. “I mean, congratulations, my dear! It just seems so sudden.” 

Dowhan fiddled with the food on his plate. “I know. I wasn’t expecting it either. It’s a huge opportunity, though.”

“I bet it is.” Sooyoung’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was starting to get a bad feeling about this. Why so much secrecy about the whole thing?

Silence fell upon them until Sooyoung broke it again. “I’m guessing you’re taking it. You know i’ll support you no matter what.”

“Will you?”

“What do you mean? Of course i will. We’ll be husband and wife soon. In sickness and health and all that.” 

Dowhan rubbed at his face, standing up from the table. 

His next words came over Sooyoung like a bucket of ice cold water.

“We have to postpone the wedding.”

She almost dropped her glass. “What?”

“I’m sorry, Sooyoung. But we have to cancel the wedding.” Dowhan repeated. He sounded way too final, like there was no room for discussion.

“But why?” Sooyoung could feel her throat closing up. This could not be happening. “What’s your job got to do with us not getting married?”

Her fiancé did not turn around, he didn’t try to reach out to her and she was too scared to move. She felt like the whole situation was too fragile, holding on the stupid hope that maybe if she stayed completely still, everything would all pass and they’d go back to 10 minutes ago, where her one of the most important parts of her future wasn’t disintegrating before her helpless eyes. 

It was nothing but an illusion. 

“I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”

-

Sooyoung isn’t sure how she ended up at Momo’s doorstep.

After Dowhan had explained how everything was already arranged for him to leave in around 36 hours, hell broke loose. It was a blur and all she remembers was yelling and crying, wondering how he could do this to her. She felt so damn betrayed, embarrassed because she was out here playing house while her fiancé was planning on moving to the other side of the world without telling her about it.

She had stomped out of the apartment, gotten into her car and driven whenever her mess of a mind would take her. It seemed like the chosen place was Momo’s house, a small place with blue walls and cute frontyard. She knew her best friend was going to freak out considering it was around 11pm on a Tuesday night and she didn’t even let her know she was coming but she didn’t have anywhere else to go and considering her situation… well. Momo would understand.

Sooyoung rings the bell and waits.

The front door opens to a relaxed-looking Momo, whose expression changes immediately into one of surprise when she sees the taller girl. “Sooyoung?! What are you doing here?”

She doesn’t even sound like herself when she utters her reply. “Dowhan dumped me.”

Momo’s eyes go wide and in a different context, she’d probably think Sooyoung was joking. But now, standing at her doorstep in the cold of the night, in a washed out hoodie with eyes red and puffy from all the crying, it’s pretty obvious that is not the case.

“Come inside.”

Momo takes her hand and Sooyoung follows automatically. She’s been to her best friend’s house plenty of times, but right now her brain is nothing but mush so she lets herself be guided to the living room, where she’s gently deposited on a white fluffy couch. There’s a picture of Momo, Juyeon and herself placed in the coffee table next to it. It was taken during her 23rd birthday party, the last one she’d spent at their dorm. She’d been so happy, her whole life waiting for her. Right now, it just seemed like it was mocking her.

“Wait here, i’ll make us some tea.”

The Japanese girl lets go of her hand slowly, like she’s afraid Sooyoung will run away if she does anything too sharply. As if she had anywhere to run away now.

She isn’t sure how much time passes before Momo is back, holding two panda cups filled to the brim with boiling tea that smelled like cinnamon. She sits down, their knees touching. Sooyoung accepts her tea with a small head gesture and says nothing. 

Momo’s words seem so loud in the quiet of the house. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Sooyoung’s voice is empty when she repeats what she’d said at the door. “Dowhan broke up with me.”

“Okay.” Momo waits. When it’s evident Sooyoung isn’t going to say anything else, she adds. “Why?” 

“He’s leaving.”

Sooyoung doesn’t want to say it out-loud. If she says it out-loud, it becomes real and she doesn’t want it to be real. Except it already is.

“He got a job offer in America. He’s leaving.”

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.” 

The tea tastes bitter in Sooyoung’s tongue.

“Why don’t you go with him?” Momo asks in soft tone.

Her laugh feels like acid. “Because he doesn’t want me to go.”

Momo’s mouth twitches like she wants to says something but refrains. “Did he say that?”

Those words spark a fire inside her and suddenly, she’s standing up from her place at the sofa, arms flailing around. “No, he didn’t! He didn’t say anything, Momo! But when he spent everyday planning on moving to the other side of the world, while not telling the woman that he was supposed to elope with in a few days, i think it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t want me to go!” There are tears coming from her eyes now, her voice breaking. “He told me we had to postpone the wedding. That he really loved me and that he would come back. That he was sorry and he didn’t mean to hurt me like this.” She wipes at her eyes. “Fuck that. If he really cared about me he wouldn’t have done this.”

She slouches, feeling foolish, defeated and just plain tired. All Momo does is wraps her arms around the taller girl, stroking her hair while she let out all she was feeling.

“How could he do this to me?” Sooyoung cries. “Have i really been such a terrible girlfriend that i don’t even deserve a goodbye? He was going to leave just like that. Only because i caught on did he confess. God, imagine if the wedding had come and i was standing there at the altar and he didn’t show up.” Her chest started reeling with anger and disgust. “I don’t want to hear anything about him ever again. Ugh, i don’t even want to go back to the apartment.” 

Sooyoung’s nose was flaring, her lips sealed into a thin line. When Momo finally speaks up, she does it reassuringly. “You don’t have to. When he leaves we can get the stuff out of that place and you can crash here if you want to.”

“Thank you.” She takes a deep breath. “It would just be while i find somewhere else to be. Good thing i’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no man.” Sooyoung adds and she thinks she sounds a little bit pathetic but what else can she do?

“That you are.” Momo lets go, a small smile on forming on her lips. “Come on now, you’ve had a long night. You can sleep on the fluffier side of the bed. We’ll figure things out tomorrow.”

Sooyoung fake gasps. “You never let me sleep on the fluffier side of the bed! Am i dying?" She touches her forehead as if she had a fever.

Momo just looks at her amusedly. “You can also sleep on the floor if you want.”

“Absolutely not.” Sooyoung makes a run for the stairs, the other girl following slowly behind. 

She was thankful Momo didn’t press the matter anymore, she knew Sooyoung too well to try to get anything more out of her. She would open up at her own pace. She still felt broken, like the world had suddenly been swept off her feet in the worst way. But she was too tired and didn’t feel like dealing with it anymore, not today at least.

Tomorrow was a new day.

-

“What the fuck.”

Those had been Juyeon’s first words when she’d found out about the situation.

The next day, Sooyoung woke up to find the younger girl preparing breakfast, with Momo sitting behind the counter, chatting about some new tv drama they both liked.

When she walked into the kitchen Juyeon’s face lit up. “Hi sunshine! How are you—” she stops abruptly when she takes a look at Sooyoung’s puffy face. “Are you okay?”

Sooyoung turns to Momo. “You called her but you didn’t tell her what happened?” She raises an eyebrow.

Momo scratches at the back of her neck. “I’m not sure if i was overstepping. I wanted her to hear it from you.”

“What’s going on?” Juyeon looks from one of her friends to the other. 

Sooyoung sighs. She figures she might as well get used for this, considering she’s going to be doing it quite a lot. “Dowhan called off the wedding. He’s leaving.”

“What the fuck! Are you serious?” Juyeon breaks the egg she’d been holding, making a mess. “Oh, sorry. What do you mean he called off the wedding?”

“Exactly that.” Sooyoung shrugs and sits down. She doesn’t want to start yelling again. “He got a job offer in a America. He took it but since it was so sudden we don’t have a chance to do it together. He’s postponing the wedding and leaving tomorrow. Asked me to wait for him and all that.”

“No way. So that’s why he was acting strange these days?” Juyeon’s voice conveys nothing but disgust. “Wow, what a douche. What did you say?” 

“I said fuck that.” Sooyoung’s voice is calm but her eyes are like fire. “I’m cancelling it. Forever.”

She pretends like she doesn’t see Juyeon throw an alarmed look at Momo. The Japanese girl just shakes her head. “Good. And how are you feeling?”

“Like shit.” Sooyoung laughs, but it doesn’t feel as bitter as yesterday. “I mean, i’ve been reflecting on it and. If he was capable of something like this then who knows what else could he have done. I don’t want to marry someone like that.” 

It was true. She had stayed up long after Momo had already fallen asleep thinking about how Dowhan was an absolute asshole for doing what he did. It wasn’t about the job—Sooyoung really would have supported him no matter what—but the fact that he was willing to throw her under the bus like she was nothing. You don’t do that to someone you love, much less someone you supposedly want to spend the rest of your life with. And so she was feeling hurt and angry, but a part of herself was relieved that she’d managed to dodge that bullet sooner rather than later.

“You’re right. You deserve someone much much better than that. It’s his loss anyway. After all, who wouldn’t want to marry you, miss Park?” Momo says wiggling her eyebrows.

“She’s right! If i didn’t have a girlfriend you’d be number one on my list.” Juyeon adds, throwing a wink Sooyoung’s way.

“Stop making fun of me, you chaotic lesbians.” Sooyoung rolls her eyes at them. “I don’t want to know anything about marriages for a while.”

“Sounds fair enough to me. Hyunjung’s gonna be sad if you miss our wedding, though, so i hope you get over it soon.”

“You’re not even engaged yet.” Momo says through a mouthful of omelette. 

“Keyword yet.” Juyeon winks again and Sooyoung just feels so thankful for her friends. 

“I make no promises.”

Her life may have changed abruptly in the span of 24 hours, but with all the good things that she’s still got left, she thinks she’ll be alright.

-

Cancelling a wedding was as much of a hassle as planning it, she had learned. 

Dowhan had paid for most of it, and considering how close the event was, it was highly unlikely that they would get refunds for the multiple things that had been hired and catered for. However, Sooyoung didn’t want thousands of workers to show up to an event that just wasn’t about to take place. She hoped their employers would give them the day off.

The worst part was the pity in the voice of those in charge of cancelling the goods. They made it seem like calling of your wedding a few days before was even worse than getting stood up last minute.

By the tenth call Sooyoung was so fed up that she was starting to believe that too.

The guests was something else all together. When they were done with breakfast, the girls had decided to call off work for the day, then they proceeded to drink around seven bottles of wine on a Wednesday afternoon. After blasting break up song after breakup song on Momo’s high definition stereo, so loud one of the neighbors came knocking onto the door to kindly ask them to turn the volume down, Sooyoung realized that her two friends weren’t the only people that she had to notify about her wedding being called off.

“I don’t want to.” She’d pouted while hugging a pillow, scrunching her nose when Juyeon offered her phone.

“You really think it’s the best idea to do it while she’s drunk?” Momo turned to look at the youngest of the tree, arms crossed.

“It would be a pain to do it sober. Plus we’re here to help her. Best friend duty.”

In the end, they’d made a whatsapp group with her side of the guests (and a different one with Dowhan’s guests, because he may be an asshole, but Sooyoung’s educated and classy and if he didn’t tell her, who knows if he told them) where they sent a short but straight-to-the-point message on how the wedding was being called off. They skipped the why, because well, that was no one’s business. Also because despite everything, Sooyoung couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

If her voice had broken a bit (or a lot, more like) while speaking with her parents over the phone, that was only for her to know.

She's still at Momo’s house when she wakes up the next day at 10:43am to a note in the alarm clock on the side of the bed that said:

_Had to work today. Breakfast is ready on the kitchen counter. Call me when you wake up. Love ya! xoxo Momo_

It makes Sooyoung smile. She doesn’t want to skip work today, already feeling lame that this was taking such a toll in her life. Deep down she knows that it’s okay, that this is huge deal and that it would probably be healthy to take some time off and process it, but she really doesn’t want to be alone and unoccupied or she will break so. Work it is.

She takes some of Momo’s clothes since she still hadn’t gone up to their—her apartment. It’s time she stops thinking in plural. There is no plural anymore. 

When she arrives at the office, the first thing she notices is that people are murmuring around her. She walks through the hallways with her head high, pretending like it doesn’t affect her that she’s probably the topic of conversation that provides entertainment during their 8 hour long journeys to a bunch of strangers and colleagues alike. 

She’s almost at her office when she hears a voice rise up from her far left. “Aren’t you all supposed to be working?”

The whispers immediately stop, as it was none other than the firm’s vicepresident Kim Kibum who gave the order. 

“Thank you.” Sooyoung smiles at him.

“No problem.” He lowers his voice. “Are you okay?”

Kibum had been Sooyoung’s teacher during college and they’d worked quite well together from the beginning. He always thought highly of her, praised her a great student and a better person. That’s exactly why he’d offered her a place in his firm, and now was to her not only a boss but also a friend. 

“Yeah, i’m fine. Thank you, really.”

He gives her a small nod and a pat in the back, glowing daggers at anyone who looked in their direction while he left. Warmth blooms in Sooyoung’s chest while she turns the lock on her door.

The office was in the exact same state that she’d left it the night before everything happened. 

Scattered around her desk are brochures and numbers to every place she’d had to call and cancel. It felt like the amount of times her throat had closed up in the past few days had to be some type of record. She'd just begun to clean up, tearing apart paper after paper with a bit more force than it’s probably necessary when a small but bright booklet catches her eye.

_Spend your honeymoon with us!_ The title reads. Under it, there’s a picture of two people holding hands while looking out into the sea, looking like the prototype of every Just Married couple ever.

Shit. 

Suddenly the memories of Dowhan and her walking through his hometown’s beach all those months ago flash through her mind. 

“How would you feel about a honeymoon cruise?” He’d asked while staring at the flashy landscapes on the travel agency spot. 

“I never thought about it i guess, but it would be interesting.” Sooyoung replied, reading what the trip apparently offered. “I’d go anywhere as long as it’s with you.”

The booklet crumps on her fist and nausea comes over her. It looks like she still has one thing left to do.

She was about to call the agency to get it over with as soon as possible, when her phone lights up with a message.

_I’m sorry, Sooyoung._

Her friends had blocked Dowhan’s number, as well as every social media account he ever had, not out of bitterness but to protect her from stuff like this.

Sooyoung had, in a moment of blind weakness, unblocked it. She didn’t actually do anything about it, except now she’s able to see one last thing that will end her heart for good.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. She knew Dowhan was leaving, he made that clear. He’d apologized endlessly that night. What else was there to say?

She takes her phone with shaking hands, staring at the notification. Those three words are everything that show up in the preview. She wonders if that’s all there is.

It’s not.

Tears start forming in her eyes as she reads the rest of it.

_I’m sorry, Sooyoung._  
_ I know i hurt you. I hope you can forgive me one day._  
_My plane is about to leave._  
_You deserve all the beautiful things in this world. I hope you find them._  
_I’ll always be waiting for you._  
_Love, Dowhan_

-

That message had obviously prompted an emergency meeting with Momo and Juyeon. 

Which is why Sooyoung found herself at a bar near her work building right now, downing a second vodka in the short span of 10 minutes. 

Her friends had been kind enough not to yell at her for being stupid and unblocking Dowhan’s number. That’s not to say their mouths didn’t twitch but she’s thankful anyway.

Her hair looks a mess and her face still looks bloated from all the crying that had happened earlier. She’d had to wait for everyone at the office to leave so they wouldn’t see her in this state of dispair. It was downright pathetic.

“He left. He really just left.” Sooyoung kept repeating, as if she said it enough Dowhan would come back.

“Sooyoung, please.” Momo says, rubbing at her back since her face is slumped down across the table. 

“Think about it this way,” Juyeon takes a sip from her coke, “now that he’s gone you can get a brand new start!”

Sooyoung looks up, face miserable. “I don’t want a brand new start. I want my life the way it used to be.” 

Her friends just stare at each other and then at her with something that feels a lot like pity. Maybe it’s sympathy. Sooyoung isn’t sure, she’d just downed a third vodka in one go and her sight was starting to blur.

She doesn’t even know what Momo and Juyeon are talking about at this point, but she hopes that they’ll forgive her for intruding with a thought that has nothing to do with the topic of their conversation. 

“Speaking of which! Like a cherry on top of the shit cake that it’s my life right now,” Sooyoung says quite hysterically. “I called the travel agency today and guess what. The honeymoon cruise tickets are non-refundable.”

Momo looks startled from the sudden interruption but she just rubs Sooyoung’s back some more. “It’s just money. You’re already not getting refunds from a lot places, one more won’t hurt. It’ll be okay.”

“Or you could, you know… go.” Juyeon adds slowly. The older girls stare at her as if she’d grown two heads. “I’m just saying! You need a break, yes? How about disappearing into the sea for a few days, leave everything behind and all that?”

Sooyoung was exhausted. So hurt and tired and halfway drunk. “I mean i appreciate the idea and all but somehow i don’t think spending a week and a half sharing space with bunch of happy new-weds —alone, no less— is going to make me feel particularly better.” 

“Why don’t you invite someone?” She’s expecting Juyeon’s voice again, except it’s Momo who speaks up. It surprises her enough to sit down completely, the sudden movement making her mind dizzy. 

“You’re not seriously thinking it’s a good idea.” 

Momo shrugs as she takes a french fry from her plate. “It’s probably not. But you could use the getaway.” Juyeon’s smile is triumphant on the other side of the table. “And i know it’s a honeymoon cruise but you can always invite someone and explain everything to them. They won’t mind as long as it’s free. That’s what i think at least.”

Sooyoung’s brain was working fullspeed. Maybe Momo had a point, but it still made no sense. Why would someone just randomly agree to go with her on a trip? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. “So is either one of you offering to go?”

“I can’t get off work for that long, otherwise i wouldn’t let anyone else take the spot. Sorry.” Momo seems sincerely regretful. 

“It’s almost end of semester and i have a bunch of exams to take so i can’t go either. Plus i think it would be better if it wasn’t someone from your daily life, you know? That way you won’t be constantly reminded of here.” Juyeon tells her.

“So let me get this straight, you want me to go on a days long journey across the sea… with a stranger?”

Juyeon’s too patient with Sooyoung’s alcohol-induced brain. “Not with a stranger, someone you know but don’t frequent as much as us.”

“I don’t think i have someone like that. It’s a dumb idea anyway. I already said i don’t want anything to do with marriage or weddings or whatever for a while.” She sounds like she’s trying to convince herself more than she’s trying to convince her friends.

“Okay, then. You can do as you please.” Momo makes a sign towards the waitress. “Now, let’s go home before you finish this bar’s stash of vodka.”

-

Later that night, with alcohol still cruising through her veins, Juyeon’s words kept playing in Sooyoung’s head over and over.

Not a stranger, just someone you don’t frequent as much as us.

A picture flashed through her mind. 

This was probably chaos waiting to happen. Or maybe it wasn’t but she had consumed copious amounts of liquid courage and she had nothing left to lose anymore. 

Careful not to wake up Momo, she reaches for her phone sitting on the nightstand, the screen too bright for her swollen eyes. She goes to the contacts app and when she finds what she’s looking for, she types out a message. 

_Hi, this is Park Sooyoung! Is this still Son Seungwan’s number? _

Send. 

If she wakes up to regret it tomorrow, well. That was future Sooyoung’s problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome to what will be a hot mess of an AU!
> 
> I saw a prompt on tumblr and loved it so much that i needed to write it, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of red velvet (let alone wenjoy) fics so i thought why not?
> 
> The updates for this will be slow since i'm crazy busy irl and i don't have a lot of time to write but i'll try my best.
> 
> Please excuse the many mistakes this thing may have, english isn't my first language and this is unbeta-ed so yikes. Hopefully it's not too bad.
> 
> Feel free to let me know any comments, suggestions, complaints etc. you may have on my [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/fireproofs) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/rvlouvie)! Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

II.

The worst thing about teacher-parent meetings was… well, the parents.

Seungwan was convinced some people shouldn’t have children. She knows that nobody’s born knowing how to be a parent but she has come across some situations that just make her want to rip her hair off. It’s gotta be common sense that if your child comes home crying every day and then wakes up scared about going to school again next morning, there’s probably something going on. Something bad.

After a few hours that feel like days, families start moving out from the school’s auditorium into the parking lot and hopefully their homes. As long as it’s anywhere that isn’t here, Seungwan will take it. 

It’s not that she despises her job — the kids are alright. They’re loud and annoying a lot of the time but they are also bright, sweet and innocent. She’s convinced children are nothing but the reflection of their parents. Shitty parents equal shitty children that will probable end up becoming shitty parents and the cycle goes on forever.

Anyway, kids aren’t the problem. The problem is that Seungwan has been working a job she doesn’t want to work ever since she graduated. She’d gotten a degree in Visual & Performing Arts back at the University of Toronto. The decision of studying abroad in her birth country came right before finishing high school, together with the plan of coming back to Korea afterwards and try to snatch a job in the entertainment industry.

That didn’t work out quite the way she’d hoped. Getting into the industry was hard, especially fresh out of college and with no connections. She wanted to be a singer more than anything but she knew that wasn’t going to happen overnight, so her plan was to climb her way up and when she was stablished enough, give the famous artist idea a shot. But it had been four years and she was still stuck in her same old boring life, making a living with a part time job as a teacher at a local elementary school and the occasional photography gig for a small studio on the side. 

So yeah, Seungwan doesn’t despise her job — she just wishes it were a different one. 

There were only a few people left in the auditorium but she was still standing in a far corner, not in the mood of speaking to anyone. These things always made her exhausted. She’s looking at her twitter feed when a voice makes her look up.

“If you keep frowning like that you’re gonna get so many wrinkles.”

It came in the form of Kim Jisoo, Seungwan’s co-worker and closest friend. 

“Putting up with you has already aged me a hundred years anyway, so i’ll frown as much as i like.” 

“Someone’s stingy.” Jisoo mocks. “Cheer up, sunshine, at least it’s over!” Her friend knows how much she hates these meetings. 

“It’s not over until they’re all gone.” Seungwan says while eyeing some families still chatting by the door. “Do you think the process will speed up if i pull on the fire alarm?”

Jisoo rolls her eyes. “You’re such a drama queen. There’s barely anyone left anyway. Come on, help me clean up so we can get the hell out of here.”

“So that’s why you came over. And here i was thinking you enjoyed my company.” Seungwan puts a hand over her heart. “Maybe i should start charging you for my services.”

“Maybe if your services had 5 stars reviews i would pay for them, but they don’t, so.” 

They keep bickering while tidying what’s left of the materials used at the reunion. Not long after they look around, feeling content because it seemed that everyone that wasn’t part of the staff had finally left. Seungwan takes a look at the clock on the wall, which read 8:23pm.

“You want to grab dinner? I’m starving. We could go to the diner a few blocks from here.” Jisoo’s stomach growls exactly as she finishes her sentence, making Seungwan laugh.

“Let’s go before your stomach riots.”

-

When they arrive at the diner, a waiter who looks like he hates his job more than Seungwan does approaches their table and takes their order.

When he leaves, she turns to Jisoo. “Poor guy. I feel for him. I wonder what he actually wants to do with his life aside from working on a diner.”

The black haired girl shrugs. “Maybe he wants to be a father. Or the president. It could be anything, really.” 

Comfortable silence falls over them as they wait for their food to arrive.

“Which reminds me,” Jisoo breaks the quiet. “What happened with that job interview you kept talking about a few weeks ago?”

Seungwan sighs. “I submitted my CV to the company as soon as i found out about it, but i haven’t heard back from them yet.”

In that moment the waiter comes back with their plates, both girls uttering polite thanks.

Jisoo takes a bite out of her chicken. “I’m sure they’ll call soon. Try not to stress too much about it.” Her eyes turn soft. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to hire you. You’re hardworking and great. Everything a company should want.”

Seungwan feels warmth in her stomach and it isn’t food related. “I’m not sure that’s the case but thank you.” A beat passes. “I hope so, anyway. I’m not sure how much more of this teaching job i can take.”

“Is it really that bad?” Jisoo asks honestly. She found herself in a situation similar to Seungwan’s except she had graduated as a fashion designer. The difference between them was that Jisoo came from money, her parents always a steady support both emotionally and economically. She’d only taken this job to have something to do while things got into place for her and well, an extra source of money never hurt anyone.

Point was, Jisoo could quit her job if she wanted, something Seungwan didn’t have the privilege to do.

She supposes things could be worse, though. “No. I’m just really tired.” 

“Things will get better soon.” Jisoo pats her hand sympathetically. “Meanwhile, we can always go out for a drink.”

Seungwan snorts. “Is alcohol your solution to every situation ever?”

“Is that a no?”

Seungwan wasn’t much a drinker, but today had been particularly awful and she could use something to relax.

“No.”

Jisoo grins. “Good. Now, let’s finish this and get going, the night is young!”

-

Seungwan wakes up the next day with a headache. 

The morning light coming through the window is way too harsh on her hungover eyes as she sits down on the bed, the movement making her stomach turn a little. She hadn’t even had that much to drink but she was cursed with a low alcohol tolerance ever since her high school days. 

She takes a minute to go through last nights events but nothing particularly relevant seems to have happened. Jisoo had taken her to a local bar since she wasn’t really in the mood for anything wilder than that. Around an hour into their stay a man had approached them —young, handsome with a decent enough speech— and offered to buy them drinks. Which, not to toot their own horn, wasn’t something out of the ordinary but it was always welcome. As the night went by Seungwan was starting to feel a lot like a third-wheel, barely part of the conversation anymore with her drowsy brain and worn out limbs. So she’d excused herself, Jisoo offering to come along to which she politely declined. The guy they were with called her a cab and the rest was history.

She wonders if Jisoo went home with him. The thought makes her feel a little bit lonely.

Seungwan gets up and goes straight to the kitchen, downing a glass of cold water in one go. It felt glorious on her dry throat. She uses another one to take a painkiller then gets back to the room to check her cell phone. 

She has a message from Jisoo that says _i’m glad! rest well, i’ll call you tomorrow_ as a reply to the one she’d sent letting her know that she’d gotten home safely. She smiles, making a mental note to call her later since she doubts she’s up right now. There’s some notifications from various social media and down at the very bottom, there’s a text from one of her co-workers at the studio.

_Hey! I was wondering if you could drop by today, boss booked a last minute shooting and we could use some extra hands. Let me know!_

Seungwan stares at her phone, contemplating. She didn’t have any particular plans, maybe go to the park in the evening or do some cleaning at home but she also didn’t feel like working.

In the end she decides that an extra shift was an extra shift so she texts back _Sure, i’ll be there in a few._ And goes to get ready.

An hour later she finds herself in front of the business building. She liked this job, at least it made her feel like she didn’t attend college for nothing.

The bell rings as she opens the door to find the co-worker who had texted her, Johnny, sitting behind the counter. The sound makes him look up and he greets her warmly. “Hi Wendy! Thank you for coming in such short notice. I’m not sure why boss urgently booked this session, i think it’s a favor or something. Anyway, i won’t keep you long. Just need some help with the editing and all.” 

“Don’t worry. I didn’t have much to do today anyway.” Who doesn’t have plans on a Saturday? Pathetic.

“I get it. It’s foreign life i guess.” Johnny smiles knowingly. He was american and had recently moved to Seoul to try his luck as a photographer. It’s also why was he the only one who called her by her english name. It made her feel a little bit nostalgic.

The studio was a small, cozy place. Nothing too extravagant with it’s grey toned walls filled with all types of pictures, a display of the different photographers’ work. She leaves her stuff in the storage room at the back of the hall and goes to set up the space where the photos would actually be taken.

Like Johnny had said, the task doesn’t take more than a couple hours, the clients easily satisfied with the way the pictures had come out. 

“Thanks for backing me up.” He tells Seungwan while they clean up the props that had been used during the session. “I can finish here. You go enjoy the rest of your Saturday.”

She makes a face. “It’s okay, i don’t mind staying.” 

“No, no. I’m serious. Please.” He sounds too sincere and Seungwan doesn’t have the heart to tell him that she really doesn’t have anywhere else to be. 

“Fine. If you insist.” She hopes her smile isn’t too strained. “I’ll just take these to the storage room and be on my way.”

He nods, unbothered. “Good! Take care, Wendy.”

-

Seungwan had settled for just hanging out at the park. The weather was nice enough, summer warmth filling her senses. 

She sat under a tree since the sun was out in full force, took out a book and read for a while, except she kept getting distracted by her thoughts.

Her life was not what she wanted it to be. She felt worn out, lonely and overall, unhappy. She didn’t like her job, she barely had any friends, she was struggling to pay rent, she hadn’t gone out in a date in god knows how long. 

Seungwan wondered if it had been a good idea coming back to Korea. 

Just as she was second-guessing every decision she had ever made, her phone rings, sparking her out of her reverie. She frowns since the call is from an unknown number but answers anyway.

“Hello?”

“Is this miss Son?” A female voice comes from the other side of the line.

“Yeah, this is her. Who am i speaking to?” Seungwan replies politely.

“Hello, miss Son! I’m calling from SM Entertainment. We got your CV submission for a production assistant spot and we’re happy to inform you that we have chosen you, along with 3 other candidates, for a personal interview. Said interview is the last step to determine who actually gets the job. Would you be interested?”

“Oh wow.” This was unexpected, it had been a while since she made it this far on the election process. “Sorry, i’m really surprised. But yes, of course! Just let me know when and where and i’m game!”

She can hear the girl chuckling on the other side of the line. “That’s good. We’ll be communicating with you to let you know the exact date and location where you have to go. Have a good evening, miss Son.”

“You too! Thank you!” Seungwan says as the line goes dead. Her stomach feels tight, the milkshake she’d drunk earlier mixing with the anticipation of the sudden news. What were the chances that just a few minutes ago she had been sulking about everything and now, an opportunity for change was knocking on her door? 

Like Jisoo said, maybe things would finally get better. 

-

A few days later, Seungwan was feeling a bit better than she had in a long time.

She has to go to the studio, since her class ended earlier than usual on Wednesdays, she also worked a full shift there in the afternoon. 

Seungwan gets there just in time, ready to let Johnny cruise to freedom for the day.

“Hi Johnny!” She greets him, more joyful than usual. “How was everything today?”

“Hey Wendy!” He looks like he wants to ask about the sudden cheerfulness but changes his mind in the last second. “Um, it was good. A family dropped by, they had 4 children and they wanted pictures for all of them. It was kinda chaotic but nice.” There was a glint in his eye that showed just how much he actually enjoyed doing what he did. 

“I can imagine.” Seungwan replies as she takes a bite from the croissant she’d bought on the way here. “You always get the entertaining clients. I just get passport pictures.” 

He laughs. “Well, i don’t think anyone wants to have a full on photoshoot on a Wednesday afternoon.”

“What a shame.”

Johnny finishes packing up his stuff. “Oh, i just thought of something else. Remember the wedding we were supposed to photograph on Sunday?”

“The one on…. What’s that fancy garden’s name? I forgot.”

“Yeah, that one. The bride called earlier and cancelled.” 

Seungwan almost spits out her drink. “Are you kidding?! It’s literally four days away! What happened?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t say.” Johnny’s voice is sympathetic. “But for someone to cancel their wedding four days before it takes place, it must’ve been big.”

“Tsk. Poor woman. I hope both her and her fiancé are okay.” Seungwan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness in her chest. “Wait, does that mean we’re free that day?” 

“I mean,” he looks around as if to check that there’s just the two of them. “Unless boss decides to book another urgent shoot out of nowhere… yes.”

He bids Seungwan goodbye and parts, leaving her alone with an unfinished lunch and the prospect of a free weekend.

-

Seungwan wakes up on Friday to an unexpected text.

Her weekday routine is simple enough: She wakes up at 6:30am, takes a shower, has a small breakfast since her next meal won’t be until at least midday then takes the bus so she’ll already be at school when the kids arrive at 8am.

The first thing she does though, like every good millennial, is checking her phone. It’s not often that she has notifications that aren’t from social media accounts, so she spots it immediately. 

_Hi, this is Park Sooyoung! Is this still Son Seungwan’s number?_

Seungwan reads the message once, twice, three times, trying to make sense of it. If her name wasn’t on it, she probably would’ve thought that it was sent to the wrong number. Not because she didn’t know a Park Sooyoung, but because she hadn’t spoken in years with the one she did know. Curiosity spiked in her gut, thinking slow and hard about what she should reply.

In the end she settles for a simple _Hi, Sooyoung! Yes, this is still her number. How’ve you been?_ Because she doesn’t know what Sooyoung wants but she’ll be damned if she doesn’t know how to start a polite conversation.

She waits a few minutes for a reply but is met with nothing. She’s a little disappointed but doesn’t think too much of it, the sun wasn’t even up in the sky yet. She sets her phone aside and starts getting ready for work.

-

The next time message comes during the kids’ recess. The teachers usually took this moment to have lunch and chat while overseeing the kids play.

She’s babbling to Jisoo about something she’d read online yesterday when her phone buzzes in her pocket. She takes it out and grins, which of course doesn’t go unnoticed by her best friend.

“What are you smiling at?” Jisoo asks through a mouthful of fruit. 

“What? Oh, i got an unforeseen text this morning.”

“About the job interview?”

“Not quite.” Seungwan isn’t looking at her, concentrated on whatever was on the phone’s screen. 

_I'm glad! I’ve been good, thank you. What about you? I know this is probably super random but i’d love if we could catch up one of these days. _

Jisoo is waving a hand in front of her face. “Hello, earth to Seungwan?” 

“Oh right. Sorry.” She turns to look at Jisoo this time. “I got a text this morning from an old friend.”

“An old friend?” The younger girl raises an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

Seungwan rolls her eyes. “It’s not what you think. She’s an old friend from before i left to Canada for uni. We kinda grew up together i guess?”

“Hmm. Is she pretty?”

“What?” 

“You could really use a date, you know.”

“Jisoo!” Seungwan shoves her playfully. “I don’t even know what she wants. Also, i think she’s straight.”

“Sounds to me like you’re just making up excuses, honestly.” She takes another bite from her food. “Why’d she text you then?”

“I don’t know. I was just about to ask.”

Seungwan types out her reply.

_I’ve been good as well, thank you. Don’t worry about it, it’s always nice to hear from an old friend. I’d love to! I’m sure we can figure something out that works for the two of us._

“How boring.” Jisoo says as she reads the message from over her shoulder. 

“What else am i supposed to reply?” Seungwan asks, pocketing her phone. 

“I don’t know, something like let’s meet up and have babies?” 

She snorts. “That’s just desperate.” 

“And you’re not?”

“No. Not yet, anyway.” 

-

Sooyoung’s reply comes during dinner.

Seungwan’s cooking some pasta for herself, trying not to think about how she was spending yet another Friday night alone, when her phone buzzes from it’s place at the kitchen counter.

A small smile graces her lips when she sees the sender’s name.

_Cool! I don’t want to overstep but i was wondering if maybe i could call you right now? If you’re not busy? There’s something i’d like to propose to you._

Seungwan has to stop what she’s doing and take a moment to think about what the message says. Make a proposal? What could someone who she hasn’t spoken to in years possibly offer her? Also, not that she would admit this out loud but the idea of talking to Sooyoung made her a little bit nervous.

They hadn’t by any means ended their friendship in bad terms. They hadn’t ended their friendship at all really, it just faded over time when she left for Canada. They were both super busy with the first semester of uni and stuff, their lives had taken different ways, so they stopped talking. No one’s fault. But before that they’d been the best of friends: like she’d told Jisoo, they had basically grown up together. Still, she couldn’t help but feel jittery about hearing the younger girl’s voice.

“It’s just a phone call, you coward.” She tells herself. 

Her hands shake a bit as she types out _sure, i’m not busy right now, we can talk._ She sends it and tries to distract herself by continuing to prepare dinner.

Even though she was expecting it, she lets out a little scream when her phone starts ringing a few minutes later. She takes a deep breath, quietly repeating that it’s just a phone call, before pressing the green button. “Hello?”

A beat passes before Sooyoung’s voice comes from the other side of the line. “Hi! This is Seungwan, right?”

Sooyoung’s voice is still the way she remembers it, high-pitched and cute. It made her sound like she was happy all the time. Seungwan’s voice, on the other hand, was rough and awkward. “Yeah, this is her. Hi.”

“How’ve you been? I’m sorry this is all so random. You’re probably wondering why the hell i’m just calling you out of nowhere after all these years.” Sooyoung was speaking fast now and Seungwan realizes that maybe she’s not the only one who is nervous. 

She lets out a small chuckle. “I mean i can’t say i wasn’t surprised,” Seungwan puts the phone on speaker and restarts her cooking. “But like i said, it’s always nice to hear from an old friend.”

She can tell from the background noise that Sooyoung is pacing around the room. “I’m glad.” A beat of silence passes. “I guess there’s no point in beating around the bush.” 

“Please don’t tell me you need help hiding a body.” Seungwan couldn’t help it, sarcasm was her only ally when it came to uncomfortable situations.

“No! Of course not.” Sooyoung’s voice was tight, like she hadn’t caught on to the joke. It was starting to make Seungwan worry. 

“I’m just kidding, i’m sorry.” She’s not the best at comforting people, much less over the phone, but she tries. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, i just…” Sooyoung makes an inaudible noise, as if she was whispering something to herself, before continuing. “I was wondering if you wanted to come on a trip with me.”

The older girl’s reply was nothing but a lame _what._

“I know what you’re thinking but hear me out! You are living in Seoul again, right? I found about that sometime ago. Well, i was supposed to go on a cruise—i am supposed to go on a cruise next week, but the person i was going with bailed last minute, so i called the agency and it turns out the tickets are non-refundable. I don’t want to go alone, so i asked around but everyone says they can’t so now i’m looking for someone to go with me. And i said well, why not call an old friend? It’ll be good and we get to catch up! And you were the first person that popped up in my mind. So i know this is extremely sudden and maybe a little bit frightening and it’s okay if you say no because you’re probably really busy but i have to ask if maybe you wanted to be my companion?”

Seungwan doesn’t think she’s ever heard someone speak that fast in her entire life. And yet, it takes her a whole minute to process what Sooyoung just said. A cruise? When would they be leaving? For how long? She can’t just ditch work to go on a trip around god knows where with someone she hasn’t seen in years. But at the same time, she could really use the break. She hasn’t gone traveling ever since she came back and even that doesn’t count because it was moving and not vacation.

She doesn’t realize she hasn’t said anything until Sooyoung breaks the silence. “Seungwan? Are you still there?”

“Yeah. Yes! I’m still here, sorry. I was just taking in what you said. I wasn’t expecting that.” She replies absently. 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to overwhelm you.” She’s a lot quieter now.

“It’s okay.” Seungwan’s next words come out before she can stop them. “Can i ask you something, though? Why me?”

“I don’t know.” Sooyoung replies sincerely. “But it’s real when i say you were the first person i thought of.” 

Her face suddenly feels hot and she’s thankful to be alone so nobody can see the way she’s blushing. Jisoo would never let her live it down.

“First of all, i’m honored at the invitation.” She says while chopping some carrots. “However, it sounds way too good to be true.” She can hear Sooyoung’s breathy laugh. 

“In the hypothetical case that i agreed to this, when would we be leaving? You’re right about something, i kinda do have to work.” 

“The plane leaves on Wednesday night.”

Seungwan stares at a calendar hung up on her kitchen wall. “Oh. That is pretty soon.” 

It would be so easy saying no, making something up about how she can’t ask for permission to miss work (which, granted, wouldn’t be an absolute lie) or how she’s waiting for a super important call regarding a job offer but for some reason, she doesn’t want to. Something in her gut is telling her that she should say yes, that she should take the risk and forget the world that she complains about so much even if it’s just for a little while.

Sooyoung sounds like she’s trying to cover up something that resembles disappointment. “I mean, you don’t have to, of course. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble or anything.” 

“I want to go!” Seungwan retorts quickly, not wanting her to get the wrong impression. “It’s just really soon. Maybe if I could have a day or two to ask for permission and to find someone to cover for me?” 

“Of course. Take all the time you need.” She sounds a bit more cheery now. “Just let me know, yeah?”

“Absolutely! I promise i’ll let you know ASAP, so in case i can’t go, there’s still time left for you to find someone else who can.” Seungwan claims but her mind is made up.

She’s gonna do everything in her power to be there.

“Hopefully i’ll get to see you soon.” Sooyoung utters, her voice sweet like honey. “Goodnight, Seungwan.”

“Goodnight, Sooyoung.”

-

The first thing she’d done after the call with Sooyoung ended was texting Jisoo.

_are you busy tomorrow? i need your help_

_oh no, what’d you do? but nope i’m not busy. we can have breakfast if you want_

_maybe you’ll kill me, maybe not. it’s about my friend who texted me earlier. but i’ll tell you everything in the morning! _

_okay NOW i’m listening. i'll see you tomorrow at 9 in our usual place. don't be late! _

_thanks jisoo. love you!_

Good thing Seungwan was kind of a morning person or else she would be hating her best friend for waking her up so early on a Sunday. Even though, if this was going to work, she will probably have to go long ways to get the help she needs. Unless Jisoo agrees to help her. In that case it would probably be a lot easier.

Her friend isn’t there by the moment she arrives so she orders two coffees and sits down on one of the cabinets near the window. Mornings were chilly, the weather nice enough for some jeans and a baggy shirt.

Jisoo gets there a few minutes after, panting. “Sorry i’m late! I missed the first bus and since it’s Saturday, they don’t come by as often.”

Seungwan’s smile is excessive, probably bordering on fake. “Don’t worry about it, i haven’t been here for long. Here, your favorite.”

The black haired girl eyes her warily as she sits. “Thank you.” She takes a sip. “It’s delicious. God, Seungwan, what did you do?!”

She feigns offense. “Can’t a woman just buy a great coffee for her best friend just because she feels like it?” Jisoo’s face doesn’t budge. “Fine, fine. But you have to promise you’ll help me.”

“Do i have a choice?” 

“Not really.”

“Hit me, then.”

It takes her around an hour to describe a ten minute phone call because well, she’s a bit terrible at telling stories. Jisoo listens intently and doesn’t interrupt except for the occasional question that Seungwan forgets to clarify. 

When she’s done, Jisoo puts her hands together as if analyzing the situation, face serious. “So let me see if i understood correctly. You want me to help you find someone to cover for you in an extremely short notice, in both of your jobs, and also help you get your bosses permission to miss work so you can go on a journey to god knows where for god knows how long with someone you haven’t seen or spoken to in a bunch of years.”

“…Yes?” Seungwan replies awkwardly.

“Damn it, Seungwan. I thought it would be something more serious!” Jisoo breaks into a wide smile. “Don’t worry about it, we’ll figure something out. I just have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you doing this? Ditching everything just like that? You don’t even know anything about the trip aside from the fact that it’s on a cruise and that you’re going with this Sooyoung girl. It just seems so out of character for you.”

Seungwan sighs. “I don’t know. It just feels like something i should do. I could use the air.”

“And the company.” Jisoo snickers. “Good thing you weren’t desperate. I’d hate to see it if you were.”

Seungwan tries to ignore the way her cheeks color. “I already told you it’s not like that! I hate you.”

“You love me. And you’ll love me more when I find you a replacement so you can go on your merry journey without a hitch.”

Her best friend is so annoying but she wouldn’t trade her for the world. “Thank you, Jisoo.”

“I just hope you remember this when you have to pick a maid of honor.” Jisoo’s smile is as bright as the sun.

Seungwan lets out a gasp and then proceeds to slap her head. “I really do hate you.”

-

Jisoo, being the magical popular fairy that she always is, had managed to solve Seungwan’s trouble in just under 12 hours.

_it's all covered. you owe me big time_, her message read. 

_you're the absolute best! thank you_

Seungwan feels giddy at how everything seemed to be falling into place.

She debates between texting or calling Sooyoung to let her know, deciding on the latter. She would be spending quite some time with her, so might as well start breaking the ice between them.

She dials her number and waits. “Sooyoung? Hey! Guess what? I’ve got some good news.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify: this story is supposed to take place in a much more ~progressive~ Korea and world in general lol. + I've chosen not to use honorifics since my one brain cell isn't used to them and it was going to make the whole thing a lot harder for me to write. Hopefully no one minds too much! 
> 
> [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/fireproofs) // [twitter](http://twitter.com/rvlouvie)


	3. Chapter 3

III.

Sooyoung had woken up that Saturday to an empty house and a devil sized hangover.

There was a note on the nightstand next to a glass of water and a box of painkillers. They’d all been left by Momo, obviously, the note explaining how she had to take care of a last-minute issue with her job and how she would be back before lunch.

Sooyoung took a sip from the water, not really remembering a lot from last night except for tons of crying and…

She quickly stood up from the bed, nearly braining herself on one of the cabinets whilst trying to find her phone. When she did, she ignored the bunch of notifications on the main screen and went straight to the messages app.

There it was. 

And not only was there the text she’d sent, but there was also a reply. _A reply._

She proceeded to have an hour-long breakdown (maybe more, maybe less) while reading it over and over, cursing alcohol and herself and her ex and pretty much every single thing that ever existed. 

Momo had found her on the couch a few hours later, head covered with a bed sheet and tv on with the volume so loud it could be heard all the way from the hall.

When Sooyoung had heard her enter, she looked her dead in the eye and said, “Don’t ever let me drink again.”

-

Once again Juyeon had come over for a new intervention (her friends were going to hate her after all this was over) and after a lot of “it’s gonna be okay” and “it’ll do you good”, they had managed to convince Sooyoung to actually go through with what, to her, sounded like the worst plan in the world. 

“You guys don’t even know Seungwan. She could be crazy.” Sooyoung complained as Juyeon typed out a reply.

“We don’t know her but you do. And we trust your judgement.” 

“No, you trust drunk me’s judgement and that’s even worse.”

“You know what they say, a drunken mind speaks what a sober heart wants.” Momo threw a wink from where she was standing behind Juyeon. “Oh, that’s good. Simple yet effective.”

“That makes you sound like a twelve year old that’s gaming online.”

“Stop being whiny and read the message.” Juyeon passed her the phone which Sooyoung took with a glare. 

She breathed out heavily while staring at the screen. “You’re gonna send it anyway so just. Do it.”

-

Seungwan’s reply had come pretty fast but the younger girl was not ready to answer, so she just spent the rest of the day trying to list the pros of going through with the whole thing.

By dinnertime she had managed to convince herself that even if it still sounded like a recipe for disaster, she really could use the fresh air. Fresh air as in, a few days on a fancy ship cruising through the Caribbean.

However she had not forgotten that Seungwan didn’t even know about the trip. Or agreed to it.

She took her phone before she chickened out. _Cool! I don’t want to overstep but i was wondering if maybe i could call you right now? If you’re not busy? There’s something i’d like to propose to you._

The minutes between the moment where she’d hit the blue button and the one where her phone buzzed with the reply were almost agonizing. 

_sure, i’m not busy right now, we can talk._

A wave of nerves suddenly came over her. What if Seungwan said no? The idea was unplanned, out of nowhere and just downright crazy. Plus they hadn’t spoken in years! She had to be thankful Seungwan even remembered who she was.

“That’s pushing it,” Sooyoung told herself. Seungwan and her had been the best of friends for a long time, it was obvious she was going to remember her. 

“Let’s get it over with.”

She dialed the number and waited.

-

The call was alright, neither of them particularly sure of what to say. Sooyoung thinks that maybe she had been way too straightforward. Not to mention she’d talked embarrassingly fast at one point but oh well. It was too late to change it.

Seungwan hadn’t said no, but she hadn’t said yes either. Sooyoung tried not to feel disappointed. She was expecting that kind of answer after all.

The next day had been rough. It was Sunday, but it was _the Sunday_. As in, the Sunday that was supposed to be the best day of her life as she glowed in front of everyone, dressed in white while walking down the aisle to get married to who she thought was the love of her life.

Instead, she was sitting at home with three liters of ice cream and a badly written movie playing on tv. Juyeon and Momo had managed to get her out of the house but it didn’t last long. All she wanted to do for the day was wallow in self-pity and not even her friends had the heart to deny her that. 

Sooyoung was halfway through the sequel of the cliché romance she’d finished earlier, sun starting to set over the city, when her phone rang.

She wanted to ignore it. She was going to ignore it the way she had ignored every single person in her life today. Except when she grabbed her phone, the screen lit up with a name she could not reject.

Perhaps Seungwan was calling her to let her know that she couldn’t go, that she had to find someone else. It would be fitting — the perfect ending to the worst day.

Her life was as terrible as the movie she was watching.

Except that when she had accepted the call, the first thing that came through the line was Seungwan’s voice saying, “Sooyoung? Hey! Guess what? I’ve got some good news.”

-

On Wednesday morning Sooyoung finds herself staring at her suitcase without a single idea what to put in it.

She’s back at her old apartment since that’s where most of her clothes are. It feels foreign, as if she hadn’t lived in it for the past few years. Juyeon had come along for moral support but she still wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Are you actually gonna pack something or…” Her friend’s voice breaks her out if her reverie.

“Maybe if i knew what.” 

“What do you mean? It’s a caribbean cruise! Sun, beach, mojitos? Any of that ring a bell?” Juyeon tilts her head. “Just pack swimsuits, shorts and glasses. It doesn’t have to be that complicated.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Sooyoung turns towards her closet so she doesn’t have to make eye contact. “I’m just really nervous i think.”

“Awww,” Juyeon coos and, being the oversized puppy that she always was, goes to hug her from behind. “I know this is probably scary but you’ll have the best time! You deserve it.”

Sooyoung lets herself be embraced by the younger girl. “I hope so. I haven’t seen Seungwan in years.” A beat passes. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

“No way!” Juyeon lets go. “You’re smart, funny and kind. Not to mention beautiful.” Her smile is wide. Sooyoung rolls her eyes. “Why wouldn’t she like you?”

“I don’t know. We’re not the kids we used to be.” She starts rummaging through her drawers for things to pack.

“Exactly.” Juyeon sits backs on the bed. “She has probably changed too. But it’s not changing, it’s growing up. I’m sure it’s been for the better. On both sides.”

Sooyoung lets out a scoff. “The young are so wise these days.”

“That we are! Now, hurry up, i promised Hyunjung that we would have lunch with her before we drop you off at the airport.” 

“But the flight doesn’t leave until 8pm.” 

Her friend raises an eyebrow. “So? It’s an international flight, you have to be 3 hours earlier. Now hurry.” 

“Okay, boss.”

-

As the time to get to the airport grew closer, so did Sooyoung’s nerves.

She couldn’t quite pinpoint why she was so nervous. Alright, maybe she could, but she wasn’t about to admit it to her friends.

She had tried, she really had. But the right moment to tell Seungwan that the cruise they were about to spend the next week and a half in was in fact, a honeymoon one, just never came.

She knows she should’ve told her from the very beginning but between everything that had happened, she kinda forgot to mention it the first time and then in the blink of an eye Seungwan had already said yes and it was too late.

She’s aware she has to tell her. Or maybe she wouldn’t notice. The cruise was just a cruise, right — no. Sooyoung was just being a coward. She has to tell her.

The problem is the when. And that, exactly, is the reason why her nerves get worse with every moment that passes. 

(And, if Sooyoung’s also a little fidgety about meeting someone she once held so close to her heart, no one’s allowed to judge her.)

“Have a nice time, Sooyoung.” Hyunjung tells her as they bid their goodbyes when dropping her off. “You deserve it.” 

Sooyoung feels like crying. She always feels like crying lately. “Thank you.”

She gives Juyeon a small kiss and exits the car, Sooyoung switching to the front seat. Just as they’re about to pull out of the drive way, Hyunjung knocks at the window, signaling at her to turn it down. “Tell that Seungwan girl to behave or we’ll have her head.”

Juyeon lets out a sharp laugh and Sooyoung just looks between the both of them, confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hyunjung smirks. “Just a hunch, is all.”

She spends the ride home thinking about how she used to have someone to share inside jokes with.

-

Sooyoung had offered to pick Seungwan up from work but she’d turned her down by saying she still had to go home to get her luggage and that her friend was willing to drive her. So they agreed to meet on the airline desk at 5 since, according to Juyeon, Incheon was one of the busiest airports in the world and they had to be extra early so everything would be done in time. 

They arrive at the airport just before five. They make their way through the crowd, the halls filled with passengers and workers alike. Sooyoung never doubted her friend's words but she also didn’t expect the airport to be so busy on a Wednesday. It was summer though, so that probably was a misconception on her part. They make it to the airline’s desk where their flight was shown onscreen. _Miami, 20:10._

“Well, you’re certainly going to have time to catch up with Seungwan before you get on the ship.” Momo says as she goes through Sooyoung’s plane ticket. “A 19 hour flight, what the hell.”

“It’s got a stopover.” Sooyoung responds, not really paying attention. Seungwan could be arriving at any minute now.

“At LAX!” Juyeon squeals. “Do you think you’ll run into any celebrities while you’re waiting?”

“I don’t know. Probably not.” 

Her friends don’t miss the way her voice wobbles.

“Hey. Look at me. It’ll be okay.” Momo says, squeezing her hand. Juyeon just nods reassuringly. 

Sooyoung just manages a small chuckle but doesn’t let go of Momo’s hand. They distract themselves by talking about the other flights on the screen when she feels a light tap on her shoulder.

She turns around to find a woman with lush black hair and features that make her look, quite frankly, straight out of a magazine. 

“Hi. Are you Park Sooyoung?”

Sooyoung has never seen this girl before. She knows she would remember. “Yes?” 

The girl grins and her teeth are exactly what you’d expect them to be. “My name is Kim Jisoo. I’m Seungwan’s best friend but since she’s too much of a chicken to approach you first, i told her that i would.”

She turns towards a girl standing not too far from them, wearing some simple black jeans and plain white shirt. Jisoo waves Seungwan over and she moves towards them, apparently embarrassed that her friend had actually gone through with whatever she’d said she was going to do.

“Hi everyone. I’m Seungwan.” She greets, her voice a tiny bit croaky. She clears her throat. “And i’m sure she already introduced herself but this is my best friend Jisoo.” 

“Nice to meet you! I’m Juyeon.” She greets back, always the social butterfly. “And this is Momo.” The Japanese girl finally let’s go of Sooyoung’s hand so she can shake the other girls’.

Suddenly all eyes are on her and she realizes that she hasn’t said anything at all. “Oh! Um. I’m Sooyoung. Great to meet you.” She extends her hand towards Jisoo, who gives her a firm shake. Then, she turns to Seungwan. “Hi. It’s lovely to see you again.”

She wonders if she’s just imagining the red in Seungwan’s cheeks. “You too.”

There’s a pause where they just stare at each other, airport noises filling her ears until Juyeon says, “Well, you better hurry up! We wouldn’t want you to miss your flight, right?” 

Sooyoung turns towards her only to find a smug look on her face. 

“Just say you want to get rid of me and go.” 

“She’s as dramatic as you! I think you guys will get along wonderfully.” Jisoo declares, also smirking.

“I can’t wait to get rid of you.” Seungwan sticks her tongue out at her. It’s kinda cute. 

Momo just watches everything unfold with a small smile on her face. “I also think we should go.” 

Traitor.

She opens her arms wide, knowing Sooyoung would never reject a hug. She buries her face in her best friend’s hair, breathing heavily. Momo squishes her tight and tells her quietly. “Try to have to have fun, yes? I love you.”

“Love you too.” Sooyoung replies, voice shaky as she breaks out from her friend’s hold. Before she can do it though, a third figure joins them. “Have the best time Sooyoungie! We love you! Please don’t forget to call us!” Juyeon kisses the side of her head.

“Look how much they love her. How come you’ve never been that affectionate to me?” Seungwan tells Jisoo, pouting excessively.

“You’re going on a cruise, not war. If anyone deserves affection, it’s me.” Jisoo retorts but she’s already moving towards her friend. She gives her a long hug, whispering something that Sooyoung doesn’t manage to catch. It makes Seungwan roll her eyes.

When they let go, Jisoo addresses Sooyoung. “Lovely to meet you. Thank you for getting her off my back for a while,” she extends her hand and winks. “Good luck.”

Seungwan just facepalms behind her. Sooyoung lets out a small giggle. 

“It was great meeting you, too. Have a nice time.” It’s Momo who speaks this time. She takes a small bow towards Seungwan, who returns it politely. Juyeon, on the other hand, lurches forward and gives her a quick hug. “Please take good care of our Sooyoung.”

It’s Sooyoung’s turn to feel embarrassed. Seungwan looks surprised but she pats Juyeon’s back anyway. 

“Let’s go, child.” Momo says, locking arms with Juyeon. “Are you heading towards the parking lot? We can walk together.” She asks Jisoo.

“Sure!” She takes a step backwards. “Bye guys. Have fun!” 

They walk away, not before turning to wave at them one last time.

At last, Sooyoung and Seungwan are left alone. As alone as they can be on a crowded airport, anyway. 

“Well, i guess we should…” Seungwan signals to the airline’s desks.

“Check in and document our luggage?”

“Yeah, that. Sorry, i haven’t traveled in a while.” 

“It’s okay. We could leave our suitcases and then go get something to eat? It’s gonna be a long flight.” Sooyoung suggests. 

“I’d like that.”

-

They sat at the airport’s food court, killing time so they wouldn’t get to the boarding gate way too early. 

“So we’ll be flying to LAX then we have to wait a few hours to take the next plane to Miami.” Seungwan reads from the travel itinerary that Sooyoung had sent her. “We’ll spend the night at a hotel there and then we’ll be taken to the deck where the ship will sail on Friday afternoon.”

“Yep. I don’t think the Miami hotel is anything too fancy, it’s just to spend the night after all.” Sooyoung replies, taking a sip out of the vanilla coffee she’d bought. 

Seungwan makes a face. “You gonna be able to sleep despite drinking that?” The younger girl nods. “I’m jealous. If i drink anything with caffeine after the sun has gone down it’s an all nighter for me.”

“I bet it was useful in college.” She takes another sip. “Except you were always so responsible, never letting things for the day before. I doubt you ever had to pull an all nighter.” She smiles widely.

“You’d be surprised. Uni changes you.” 

“It really does. What’d you get your degree on?”

“Performing & Visual Arts.” Seungwan says, fiddling with the brochure. She looks compelled to add, “Not what what i work on though.”

Sooyoung tilts her head. “Why? If you don’t mind me asking of course.”

“Haven’t found what i was looking for i guess.” Sooyoung wants to know more but she can also tell this isn’t Seungwan’s favorite subject to talk about, so she doesn’t push it. “What about you?”

“Law. I work at a firm.” 

Seungwan’s demeanor changes immediately. “And i was the responsible one? Okay.”

“Stop. It’s not that hard.” Sooyoung replies shyly. “Everyone’s good at what they do.”

“Don’t be so modest. I’m sure you’ve worked hard to get to where you are.” She shakes her head. “Can’t believe i actually offered my help hiding a body. I doubt you would even need it.”

“It’s the thought what counts. Now i know who to call if i ever do need it!”

“Just promise you’ll get us out of jail afterwards.”

“If you can afford me, sure.” Sooyoung’s eyes crinkle. She checks her watch. “We better get going, who knows how long we have to walk to get to the plane.”

-

The boarding gate had huge windows from where you could see all the runways and hangars. It also showed the beautiful summer skies. There was a full moon tonight.

Sooyoung stood before it, taking in the sight. Memories of her life in the past four years come to her. It happens a lot lately. She wishes it didn’t. 

“Don’t you think it’s fascinating how it’s night here yet in some other places it’s midday?” Seungwan asks out of nowhere, breaking Sooyoung out of her thoughts.

“What do you mean?” Sooyoung frowns, not really understanding her question.

“I don’t know. Like i get that’s how it works because of the Earth and stuff but. The universe is just so… captivating sometimes.”

Sooyoung takes a moment to really contemplate the girl who would pass as her companion for the next few days. Her hair is short, a bob cut just above her shoulders, tinted chestnut-brown. Her skin was silky and smooth, thin lips curled in a small smile. She’s short, barely reaching Sooyoung’s neck. Her profile is sharp with eyes that twinkle as she looks out into the night. She's beautiful.

“I like the sky. It’s comforting.” She tries, not having anything better to reply. “It’s always there. No matter what happens. It’ll never leave.” Her voice sounds a little strained in the last few words.

If Seungwan notices, she doesn’t say anything. “A constant.” 

They stay in silence for a few minutes. 

“Thank you for inviting me here.” Seungwan tells her.

Sooyoung can’t help but chuckle. “We haven’t even left. You can still bail, you know.”

“Never. Jisoo won’t take me back before at least a week passes anyway.” 

Right in that moment, a voice comes through the speakers. 

_Passengers from Flight 518 on the way to Miami, please board your plane through door 22._

“That’s us.” Sooyoung announces, heart doing a little flip. 

“What are we waiting for, then?” Seungwan takes a small bow and puts her arms out signaling for her to go first. Sooyoung eyes her, amused, but obliges anyway. 

They’re almost at the door when she stops abruptly.

The older girl almost runs into her. “What’s wrong?”

“Thank you.” 

“For what?” Seungwan’s eyebrows furrow. 

Sooyoung’s smile, on the other hand, doesn’t waver. “For coming along.”

Maybe this trip wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

-

Sooyoung had been so content in Seungwan’s presence that she had almost, _almost _forgotten that she was lying to her through gritted teeth. 

That was until they arrived at their hotel in Miami.

Both flights had gone smoothly. They’d spent a lot of the first one asleep, the seats surprisingly comfortable. When they woke up a meal was served and afterwards, they used up most of the time catching up, talking about everything and nothing. It was nice to see that their old ways hadn’t faded, falling into a pleasant rhythm. 

LAX was even bigger than Incheon so they tried not to wander too far since the stopover was only for 3 hours. Contrary to Juyeon’s belief (and, apparently, to Seungwan’s dismay) they didn’t run into any celebrities while they were there.

The second plane had been much smaller and less elegant, but that flight was nowhere near as long so it was alright. Jetlag was starting to hit them, the prospect of a warm shower and a comfy bed when they got to the hotel the one thing making them power through the rest of the journey.

That should’ve been Sooyoung’s first strike but her brain was too tired. Or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself.

They landed in Miami at around 6pm, a cab already waiting for them outside the airport. Everything had already been planned by the agency, it seemed. 

The hotel was nothing from another world, it was just to spend the night after all. They walked to the reception, the lady behind the desk looking extremely fresh next to their jetlagged selves. _The reservation’s under Park_, she’d said. Sooyoung had changed all the reservations to her name the day she’d found out the tickets for the trip were non refundable.

That should’ve been the second one.

At last the lady had given them their key, room 421. They went straight for the elevator, both of them so tired that they didn’t feel like exploring the rest of the hotel.

When they open the door, the first thing Sooyoung notices is the single queen-sized bed in the middle of the room.

Three strikes, you’re out.

Her mind feels like it’s gone into a meltdown, reality hitting her like a ton of bricks.

She had to tell Seungwan the truth.

There was a voice in the back of her head, though, that whispered in her ear like those little devils in animated movies. _You can’t tell her now. She’s exhausted. Do you want to make it worse? Look, she doesn’t even look like she suspects anything. You can tell her tomorrow._

Sooyoung was a coward but she wasn’t technically lying to Seungwan, was she? She just wasn’t being entirely truthful. Except that every minute that passed, the risk of Seungwan hating her went up. Maybe exponentially. 

“Sooyoung? Are you alright? You’ve been standing at the door for at least 3 minutes now.” Seungwan asks from her place on the bed. “This is so cozy. Oh, i’m so tired. I can’t wait to go to sleep.” 

The voice in her head was right. What good would it do to tell her now? 

Tomorrow first thing in the morning. Before everything else, she would come clean to Seungwan.

-

Confessing was a lot easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my favorite chapter but i hate introductions. The next one will be better, i hope. 
> 
> Also, the updates will probably get a lot slower now since my break is over. Sorry :(
> 
> [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/fireproofs) // [twitter](http://twitter.com/rvlouvie)


	4. Chapter 4

IV.

_Miami’s sunshine hits different_ is Seungwan’s first thought when she opens her eyes. 

The hotel bedroom is bathed in soft daylight, the sun barely rising in the horizon. She’s got her legs covered by a soft sheet, the air conditioner making the temperature contrast with the sight of the room. She sits down slowly, trying her best not to wake Sooyoung up. The younger girl was sleeping soundly, her breathing slow, face shining under the morning gleam. Seungwan took a small second to admire how gorgeous she was.

Because Sooyoung was gorgeous. She had always been good-looking, of course — Seungwan knew that a little too well. But she looked much more mature now, her features having grown up with her. 

She had been preparing herself for the whole thing —even going as far as rehearsing some lines in the mirror, as embarrassing as that may be— but what she wasn’t expecting was Sooyoung to look like that. The moment she laid eyes on her, even though she was wearing a simple black shirt and some faded old jeans, her brain seemed to stop working. That’s why Jisoo had ended up approaching her and her friends first. So yes, maybe Seungwan went into a bit of gay panic. Sue her.

She stands up from the bed before she starts bordering on creepy, going straight for the bathroom to brush her teeth. While staring at her reflection on the mirror she wonders how she’d ended up on the other side of the world from pretty much one day to another. It made her feel anxious but at the same time, she was having a lovely time so far. Things had been a bit awkward at first but slowly, they’d managed to find comfortable ground for both of them. Or at least she wishes Sooyoung feels as delighted as she does. 

Sooyoung seems to have a great life for the most part — a stable job (that she actually enjoys), trustful friends, etc. She hasn’t mentioned a boyfriend or anything of the matter, but Seungwan believes that maybe she’s just the type of person that doesn’t talk about that kind of stuff on the first day.

She’s rummaging through her luggage looking for something to wear today when she hears movement behind her followed by a sleepy _good morning._

She smiles softly. “Good morning, Sooyoung.”

“What time is it?” 

Seungwan looks at the clock on the bed side. “Eight twenty.” 

“Ugh,” Sooyoung rasps, falling back into the pillow. “So early.” 

“You’ve never been much of a morning person, have you?” 

“Is anyone?”

“Touché.” Seungwan laughs. “What time are they picking us up, anyway?” 

“At 10.” Sooyoung’s still snuggled in bed. “The boarding starts at midday.”

“You could sleep for a little bit more then.” 

“Not if I want breakfast.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” 

Realistically speaking, Sooyoung wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, have breakfast and be ready on time unless she did the last two at around ninety kilometers per hour. Seungwan didn’t want to be the one to break the news to her, though.

“What if we get something so you can eat it on the way? That you’d have enough time to sleep some more without missing breakfast.”

The younger girl stands and walks towards her. “It’s okay. Thank you for worrying.” She gives her a soft smile, her face much closer to hers than it’s probably needed. “I’m up now.”

Seungwan hopes the _okay_ she manages to reply doesn’t sound as tight as it feels.

-

They’d thankfully succeeded on getting breakfast and being ready on time, since the cab that was supposed to take them to the port was already waiting for them when they show up at the lobby.

“Good morning, my name is Tyler and i’ll be driving you to your destination today.” A guy with a bright orange shirt greets them. He takes their luggage and puts it on the trunk of the car as they both get in the backseat.

“It should take around 20 minutes to get there, depending on traffic.” Tyler announces, flashing his best retail smile. “How has your trip been so far?”

“It’s been good. We’ve only been on planes though, so it’s probably not the most truthful reference.” Seungwan replies naturally.

“Well, it’s always nice to start off with the right foot. Both in trips and relationships. You’ve got a whole new life ahead of you anyway.” 

Seungwan’s about to ask what does he mean by that when she feels Sooyoung shift in her seat. 

“What’s wrong?” Seungwan questions.

“I...” Her breath quickens and she looks like she’s about to say something but changes her mind last minute. “I just don’t understand english as well as you."

Seungwan puts a hand over her mouth, completely unaware that Sooyoung was feeling left out. “I’m so sorry! I just slipped back to my old ways. I didn’t even notice. I’m sorry.” 

Sooyoung looks away. “It's okay. I just wasn't expecting it i guess.”

“I’m sorry. I feel guilty now.” And she really does. The least thing she wants is for Sooyoung to feel uncomfortable in any way. 

“No!” She retorts quickly. “Please don’t. I’m probably overreacting. I’m the one who should apologize.”

“Let’s call it a truce, okay?” Before she can regret it she takes Sooyoung’s hand and gives it a little squeeze. 

Sooyoung stares at their intertwined hands. “Okay.”

The rest of the car ride is spent in silence. Seungwan swears she can hear Tyler whisper “married life” at some point but it doesn’t make any sense so she just chooses to ignore it.

-

The sun is in full force when they arrive at the port.

Tyler parks next to a souvenirs shop, the Miami heat making them sweat despite their light outfits. He takes out their luggage from the back of car, explaining briefly what they’re supposed to do next.

“Just go to the cruise terminal so you can drop off your luggage the way you would in an airport. Then you’ll have to do a check-in. Most of the process is quite similar, actually. I’m sure if you have any questions the staff there will be more than happy to help.”

They thank him for his services and walk towards the terminal. There’s not nearly as much people as there had been at Incheon or LAX, but it was still hard to maneuver the suitcases through a crowd. 

There’s a line at the drop off section so they wait for their turn. The whole place is filled with pictures of boats and ornaments made of nautical things. It makes everything feel much more real. Seungwan feels excitement build in her gut.

An employee signals for them to come over and asks them to put the suitcases on a scale. Sooyoung hands over some papers. “Good morning, miss Park and mister…” He trails off, narrowing his eyes at Seungwan. 

Sooyoung stares at him with wide eyes. “No. My companion has changed. I notified the agency.”

For someone who says she doesn’t understand english, she speaks it pretty damn well.

He looks a little bit skeptical but checks again anyway. “You’re right. I apologize, miss Park. It says right here that your partner is now miss Seungwan Son.” 

“That’s right.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest.

Sooyoung was acting strange. It’s not like Seungwan had much of a reference aside from the past 24 hours but she could sense something was off.

She decides to confront her as soon as they leave drop off. “Sooyoung. Is everything okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” The younger girl avoids looking her in the eye.

“You’'ve been all jittery ever since we got in the car. You know you can trust me, right?” Seungwan tries to speak in the gentlest way possible.

Sooyoung faces her, smile bordering on insane. “I’m fine. I promise.”

Seungwan doesn’t believe her but she doesn’t want to over-step either so she’s got not to choice but to leave her for a bit and hope that she’ll come around on her own.

-

Like Tyler said, the check-in process had been pretty much like the ones they’d gone through at the airports yesterday.

They made it through security with no problem, the officers working there as nice as all the employees had been so far. Apparently they were finishing the last details with the ship since it was still a little early, so they were asked to wait on a boarding-like area so they wouldn’t be standing under the bare sun.

Seungwan could see the ocean through the window, excitement cruising (no pun intended) through her veins. She takes a picture and sends it to Jisoo. _i'm not sure if you’re even awake right now but we’re about to board the ship. wish me luck! _

Sooyoung, on the other hand, can’t seem to stop running her hands through her hair. Or sit still. Seungwan tries again. “Do you not like the sea?” 

That’s a stupid question, she tells herself. Why would she choose to go on a cruise if she was scared of the sea?

“No.” She doesn’t even turn to look at her. 

“Then what’s wrong?”

Sooyoung stands up abruptly. “There’s something you need to know.”

“Okay.” Seungwan doesn’t know what she could possibly tell her that’s got her this stressed.

“Seungwan, I—”

She’s interrupted by a loud bang, the room suddenly filling up with people dressed in coral shirts and white shorts, flower collars hanging around their neck.

One of them takes out a microphone and a speaker, his voice resonating through the walls. “Hello everyone! On behalf of all the crew, i’d like to officially welcome you to the Dream Weaver. We hope that not only you’ll enjoy your stay with us, but also that these next few days become one of the best in your life!” Some cheers can be heard. “We’ll start the boarding shortly. If you have any questions, anyone from our crew will be more than happy to assist you.”

People start mobilizing towards the dock, everyone eager to get on the boat already. They follow the crowd closely, not wanting to get left behind.

As they walk through the glass doors, Seungwan brings back the conversation they were having before the interruption. “So, what were we talking about?”

Sooyoung just shakes her head, lips pressed into a half-smile. “I’ll tell you later.”

-

Turns out later came around 10 minutes afterwards.

They’re hanging around the dock, waiting to board the ship. It was bigger than Seungwan was expecting and even if she hadn’t seen it from the inside, it looked extremely luxurious as well. She spots mostly young couples displaying all kinds of cheerfulness and affection, no children and just a few elderly people on sight. 

“It’s kinda weird how there doesn’t seem to be many families around, don’t you think?” Seungwan voices. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Sooyoung stiffen, rub at one of her temples and then let out a nervous chuckle.

“I guess you’re going to find out sooner or later so might as well.” She takes a deep breath and keeps her eyes on the floor. “There’s something i didn’t tell you when i invited you here.”

Seungwan’s about to crack a joke on how she can have the saving door if the boat ends up crashing Titanic-style when the taller girl’s next words come out in a rush. “This is my honeymoon gift. Well, it was.” 

Seungwan blinks. 

“Honeymoon?” 

Sooyoung looks up. “I swear i can explain.”

“Please do because i’m confused.” Seungwan asks calmly despite the rising panic in her chest. What the hell was Sooyoung talking about?

She looks around as if to see if anyone’s paying attention to them. They aren’t, of course. “I was supposed to get married last sunday. That didn’t happen. Obviously.” Her voice sounds more strangled with every word. “This was my honeymoon gift.”

Suddenly all the pieces came together in Seungwan’s mind. 

“Oh, Sooyoung.” 

A part of her wanted to yell and fling the younger girl overboard for not telling her because she was not ready for this. That thought goes away in less than three seconds when she sees her, though. Sooyoung’s standing with her head bowed, shoulders slumped, looking every bit like a kicked puppy. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would you have come if i did?”

Seungwan’s reply escapes her lips without thinking. “Of course.”

-

The ship was as extravagant on the inside as it was on the outside.

They had boarded the ship without any trouble, the staff nice enough to give them detailed instructions on how to reach their room and not get lost in the process since the boat was huge. Seungwan could see, just from the place where she was standing, a grass lawn next to an outdoor bar, complete with deck furniture and faux fire pit. They would have plently of time to explore, she hoped.

The walk to their cabin was quiet. Sooyoung hadn’t uttered a word aside from small thanks since the conversation they’d had on the dock. It’d only become worse when one of the crew members told them _thank you for choosing to spend your honeymoon with us, we hope you enjoy_. Seungwan was way out of her depth, not knowing how to let her know that things were okay without transgressing their boundaries. 

The suit was as elegant and stylish, not to mention spacious. There was a lovely balcony with a jacuzzi big enough to fit at least 2 people. The bathroom was as fancy as you’d expect, a huge mirror reflecting back Seungwan’s awed expression. The floor was covered in carpet around the queen-sized bed, which was filled with all types of pillows and silky sheets. 

She drops her bag on the table next to the window, the smell of the sea fresh in her nostrils. She’s about to take her camera out so she can snap some pictures when she hears a quiet whimper behind her.

“I’m so sorry.”

She turns around so fast she thinks she might get whiplash. Sooyoung is sitting on the bed, holding a brochure that had been left for them in one of the nightstands. It’s got a picture of a couple holding two glasses of wine, the sun setting down on the ocean behind them, wide smile on their faces. The title reads, ‘Your lifetime of adventures starts today.’

“My fiancé and i split up.” Her hand trembles. “I know that doesn’t actually change anything. But i want you to know that i never meant to lie to you. I’m sorry, Seungwan.”

She sounds so small. So defeated. Seungwan sits next to her slowly, their knees touching. She puts her hands on her lap, her fingers itching to take Sooyoung’s but again, she doesn’t want to overstep. 

“It’s okay. I’m not mad. Just a little surprised is all.” Silence falls upon the room. Seungwan takes it as a cue to push a little. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sooyoung keeps her eyes locked on the paper. “We were together for 4 years. Met when i was in my second year of college. We dated for a year and then i moved in with him. I thought he was the love of my life.” Her voice is empty. “Turns out he was just an asshole.”

She had never seen Sooyoung like this. Granted, they were basically children, adult life and it’s problems not having taken a toll on them yet. “What happened?” She tries to ask without really asking.

“He got a job offer in America and left. Three days before our wedding.” 

Seungwan’s eyes widen. “He didn’t.”

“Wanna know the worst part? He already knew and he didn’t tell me. It was never in his plans for me to go with him.” The brochure crumples in her fist. “God, i was such an idiot.”

She doesn’t hesitate to take Sooyoung’s free hand now. “Don’t say that. It’s not your fault he decided to be a jerk and leave like that.” 

“That’s what everybody says. But what if i just wasn’t good enough for him?” Silent tears keep flowing from her eyes. “That would explain why he did it.”

Seungwan’s chest feels tight. “No. There is no excuse for what he did. If he was stupid enough to throw away a relationship with a beautiful, kind, smart woman like you then that’s on him.” She says firmly. She may not be good at this kind of stuff but she won’t let Sooyoung tear herself down over her shitty ex fiancé. She won’t. “You deserve so much better.”

Sooyoung doesn't reply to that and just looks to where both of Seungwan’s hands are holding her own. “I really am sorry. I should’ve told you all of this when i first called you. I was just so scared. And embarrassed. Still am, actually.” 

“Don’t be. And you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t actually lie, you know? You invited me on a cruise and that’s where we are.” Seungwan smiles reassuringly. “We’ll have a great time by the looks of it. If we don’t at least we can steal some pillows.”

The younger girl let’s out a watery laugh. “You sure know how to have fun, Son Seungwan.”

Sooyoung’s face is red and puffy from crying but at least she’s laughing now. Seungwan doesn’t want to see her downcast ever again. 

“I didn’t want to come, actually. I said — why would i want to spend a week next to a bunch of happy people who just got married? All that it’d do is remind me of what i lost. But my friends convinced me to do it. I’m kinda starting to feel glad that they did, though.” 

Seungwan gets where she’s coming from. She doesn’t think she’d be too fond of the concept either. But no matter what happened, they’re here now and she’s gonna do everything in her power so Sooyoung can forget about her troubles at least for a little while. 

“I’m glad too.” She gives her hand a small squeeze and stand up from the bed. “Well, we have a whole ship waiting for us. Where would you like to start?”

“Is it too early to say the bar?”

"You and Jisoo would get along wonderfully.”

-

After waiting for a little while until the swelling in Sooyoung’s face went down —“I refuse to go out like this. The embarrassment is too much already.” — they headed straight for the deck since that's where Seungwan had seen an outdoor bar when they were on the way to their suite.

“Welcome to Palm Grove Bar!” A guy with the characteristic coral shirt greeted them. He looked young, barely old enough to drink the beverages he was hired to prepare probably. “What can i offer you today?”

“What do you recommend?” Sooyoung asks him, taking a look at the board where all the drinks were listed.

“Today’s special is called Forever After, it’s a cocktail with sugarcane liquor. Our guests love it. Plus, it’s got a two-for-one promotion.”

“Does that sound good to you?”

Seungwan shrugs. “I don’t drink much but yeah, sure.” 

“Tsk. Should’ve invited Jisoo instead then.” Sooyoung throws a playful smile. “We’ll have two of those, please.”

The guy tilts his head at them but says nothing aside from _sure._

They thank him for their drinks and go sit at one of the tables.

“This whole place is so fancy.” Sooyoung says while taking in her surroundings. “It’s got everything. Like a mini city. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a supermarket somewhere.” 

“Or a theater.”

“I’m not sure about that but i think i read somewhere that there’s days where they set up a screen on deck and project movies. Like a car cinema. But without the cars.” 

The drink is delicious, just the right amount of sweet. She turns to look at the counter only to find the guy from earlier already staring at them. When Seungwan notices he averts his eyes quickly, pretending to clean some of the empty glasses.

“The bartender keeps staring at us.” Seungwan inquires out loud. “He gave us a funny look when we were back at the counter too.”

Sooyoung takes a sip from her drink, apparently unbothered. “Perhaps he’s wondering why i would joke about inviting someone else to our honeymoon.”

It takes Seungwan a second to understand what she means. “Right. This is a honeymoon cruise so everyone probably thinks we’re married.”

She glances at the people currently present at the bar — they’re all couples. Or at least, she assumes they are couples, the way everyone else would assume that Sooyoung and her are a couple.

The younger girl’s expression suddenly changes, words tinted with worry. “Does that… bother you?” 

“Of course not!” Seungwan responds immediately. She doesn’t want Sooyoung to get the wrong impression. “I’m just not sure why I hadn’t thought about it like that.”

“Are you sure?” She doesn’t seem too convinced. “The least thing i want you to be is uncomfortable.”

“No! It’s okay. I promise.” 

Suddenly a thought sparks in her head. 

“Actually… i just had an idea.”

Sooyoung’s face was still filled with reluctance. “What is it?”

“What if we were actually married?” 

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Come again?” 

“I know it’ll probably sound crazy but hear me out. We’ll meet a lot of people here, or at least we’ll have to talk to them. Like you said, everyone thinks this is our honeymoon. Except it’s not and we’ll have to explain everything over and over. Or they won’t ask and instead they'll keep staring at us like Mr. Barman. So what if instead of denying it we played along? It would make everything so much easier.” Seungwan finishes, realizing how insane she sounds. “And fun. Maybe.” She adds awkwardly.

“So you want us to pretend to be married? That’s…” She leans back on her chair. “Not a terrible idea actually.”

Seungwan blinks rapidly. She didn’t think Sooyoung would actually give her plan a time of the day. “Really?”

“Yes, you have a point. I definitely don’t want to go around sharing my very unfortunate story. I’m tired of seeing the pity in people’s faces.” She shakes her head. “Plus it could be fun like you said. Let’s do it.”

They stare at each other for a minute until they both break into loud laughter, causing one of the waitresses standing nearby to narrow her eyes at them, which only causes thiem to laugh even more.

“How will we do it?” Sooyoung questions when they finally manage to calm down.

“Do what?”

“Well if we’re gonna be fake married we gotta have a story in case someone asks, don’t you think?”

“True.” Seungwan puts her hand on her chin, thinking. She’s about to ask Sooyoung how her dream wedding would be when she realizes it that'd probably be in poor taste. “Is a hotel too lame? The studio i work in sent us to photograph a wedding on a vineyard once. It was all really pretty.”

"When i was looking for venues what it feels like lifetimes ago now… there was this House. I think it was called Grand Walkerhill. It was beautiful. We ended up agreeing on a different one.” She scoffs. “But that was my first choice.”

“Well, who am i to say no to my fake wife of 2 days, right?” Sooyoung rolls her eyes. “Walkerhill house it is.”

-

They spend around an hour making up scenarios about their non existent wedding until Seungwan complains on how she’d forgotten to put on sunscreen and how if they don't move she would end up redder than a shrimp.

They start roaming through the rest of the deck until they come across a girl with short blonde hair and a wide smile. She was holding a clipboard in one hand and some papers on the other. 

“Hi! If i could just have a minute of your time,” she begins, not giving them a chance to refuse. “I’m in charge of the couples’ entertainment activities. It’s basically a bunch of games that go on over a few days. We handle it as a competition and the couple who wins gets a super romantic dinner. We’d love if you could join us!”

Seungwan takes the pamphlet that she hands them. 

_Activities take place at midday (with the exception of port days) next to the main pool on deck. The more you participate, the more points you earn. Win the grand prize of a luxurious romantic dinner on the beach of our last destination!_

Sooyoung reads it from over her shoulder. “So we don’t actually have to show up to all the planned activities, right?”

“Nope, that’s for you to decide. However as it says on the brochure, the more games you take part in, the bigger the chances of being number one.” The girl’s energy is contagious.

“You feeling up for some free dinner?” The taller girl asks Seungwan.

“You actually think we could pull this off?” She hopes Sooyoung understands she’s not actually talking about the games.

“Oh, i’m positive.” She smiles mischievously and well, that does sound like the Sooyoung she used to know.

“Okay then.”

“Great!" The blonde girl takes out a pen and writes their names down. “The activity schedule will be out tomorrow first thing in the morning. We usually hang it around different parts of the ship so more people get involved but if you can’t find it, the biggest one will be next to the main pool where the games actually take place.” 

“Lovely, thank you.”

“You’re welcome! Now, if you’ll excuse me i have to hunt down your competitors,” she winks. “But if you need anything feel free to let me know. Just ask for Kim Yerim.”

She takes off to approach another unsuspecting couple. 

"I have to warn you, though. I suck at games." 

"We'll see about that."

-

It had taken around four hours for Seungwan to regret her own idea.

After spending some more time locating things on board, they went back to their suite to put on their swimsuits and some sunscreen, since the pool looked way too nice and the weather was way too warm not to try it.

Seungwan couldn’t say she frequented the beach much so her swimsuit attire was kinda limited — she’d gone for a plain white one-piece with a front keyhole. 

Sooyoung, on the other hand, was wearing a red high waisted bikini with a twisted top.

It would be stupid for Seungwan to deny her attraction to Sooyoung. It wasn’t the first time it’d happened, anyway. She didn’t spend two years (or maybe a little more) crushing on her to act like this wasn’t a recurrent event. What was actually stupid was the fact that’d agreed to this —worse, suggested it— when she _knew._

Which is why, right now, she finds herself cursing every single thing that’s ever come out of her mouth while she rubs sunscreen on Sooyoung’s back.

“There you go.” She says, wiping the excess on her own arms.

“Thank you.” The younger girl grins. “Were you standing on your tiptoes? That’s so cute.”

“No, i wasn’t.” 

“You don’t have to deny it. Our height different is perfect for hugs.” She goes to prove her point by wrapping an arm around Seungwan. “Are you ready to go?”

"Yes.” She hopes her voice doesn’t sound as panicked as she believes it does. “Hold on, i gotta grab something from the bathroom.”

She actually doesn’t. Instead, she takes her phone out and texts Jisoo.

_i think i screwed up_

Seungwan thinks about elaborating but she doesn’t even know where to begin.

And it was only the first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now the updates will be slow. 
> 
> Also someone suggested i should cross post this to aff and i did! You can find it [here](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1416632/shout-out-to-my-ex) in case you prefer that plataform.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and i hope you like it so far. ♥️
> 
> [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/fireproofs) // [twitter](http://twitter.com/rvlouvie)


	5. Chapter 5

V.

Sooyoung was amused by how easy it was pretending to be married to Seungwan.

It seemed it was crazy at first, but when she really thought about it (which obviously happened in the span of a few minutes because that was Sooyoung’s mind for you), it actually sounded like a lot of fun. And, like she’d said, it would salvage her from telling her sorrow story to every single person they met on this boat. Plus, she was already on a honeymoon cruise with her childhood best friend because she got dumped three days before her wedding — honestly, what’s the worst thing that could happen?

Perhaps the signing them up for a couples’ challenge was pushing it but well, they could always drop out if they were making too much of a fool out of themselves.

She tried not too reflect too much on the whole thing —the real reason why she’d agreed to it, the implications or the consequences— because there was no point, really. Afterwards, Seungwan and her would go back to their regular lives, whatever happened here nothing more than a good story to share with friends over dinner on a chilly winter night.

She’d texted their group-chat last night, after spending a huge part of the day hanging in the pool and the rest exploring around. She sent some pictures and asked about their day, but got no reply. Probably because of the time zone difference. She thought about telling them of her agreement with Seungwan but she didn’t want them to get worried over nothing. She knew them too well and, despite being the oldest, the other two acted like mother hens over her sometimes. Especially right now after everything that’s happened.

So no, she decided that she would keep this to herself a little longer.

They woke up pretty early the next morning —"Nine-thirty is not early, Sooyoung, you’re just lazy.” The older girl had told her, how rude— since they wanted to have breakfast before showing up to the first activity of the day.

“You’re taking this way too seriously. Do you really think we have a shot at winning against actual married couples?” Seungwan tells her as they wait for someone to assign them a table.

“Not with that attitude!” She waves her finger in front of Seungwan’s face. “You know i’m competitive.”

Seungwan sighs. “Yeah, i know. No pressure.”

Sooyoung just grins as the hostess waves them over.

The buffet looked delicious, both Korean and American food shining under the counter’s light. They pick as much as their plates can take and sit back down.

“So, what else are we supposed to do aside from winning this lovely competition of yours?” Seungwan asks as she takes a bite from her food.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been on a cruise.”

“Me neither.”

“Really? I assumed maybe you had.”

“Why?”

“Aren’t you from Canada? Maybe you had gone of one of those trips to Alaska or something.” Sooyoung shrugs.

Seungwan tries to stifle a laugh. “That’s the wrong side of the coast, Sooyoung.”

“Fine.” She says dramatically. “We still have to find out what we’re going to do though.”

She takes out her phone and opens the e-mail she’d gotten with the ship’s schedule.

“Parting from Miami the first day. Second day, cruising only. Third day it’s a port day. Costa Maya, Mexico.” Sooyoung reads out loud. “Fourth day, cruising. Fifth day: Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Sixth day is more cruising. Seventh day, Santo Domingo.”

“I guess we should’ve taken some spanish lessons.” Seungwan raises her eyebrows. “Mine stops at ‘hola’ and ‘gracias’.”

“It’s okay. We always have mimic.”

“Are you good at it?”

“Yes.”

“If you say so.”

“Anyway, as i was saying before i was rudely interrupted by my very own wife.” She says, overly-loud, which causes Seungwan to roll her eyes. “Day eight is cruising. Nine is the final port one in Puerto Rico. Then we get back to Miami.”

“So the romantic dinner is in Puerto Rico? Well, at least we’ll be able to follow the instructions when we win.” Seungwan’s words are mocking.

“Wan, come on.” She pleads. Seungwan lets out a small cough. “Promise me you’ll try?”

She was full-on pouting but she didn’t care. It seemed to do the trick though, because Seungwan just stares at her with mirth. “I promise.”

-

They get to the main pool a little before midday, the game schedule posted on a wall above a small table with a microphone next to it.

_FIRST DAY_  
_Say what?_  
_Heart to Heart_  
_Honey, we’re famous!_

_SECOND DAY_  
_Dance the Ring Away_  
_Drama Club_  
_How Well Do You Know Your Spouse_

_THIRD DAY_  
_Bag a Mate_  
_Ice Cream Race_  
_Kiss-Off_

_FOURTH DAY_  
_The Ultimate Dream Scavenger Hunt_

“What do you think?” Sooyoung asks Seungwan when it seems like she’s done reading.

“I think someone’s putting too much effort into this.” She snorts. “But it’ll be fun i guess. Let’s wait until we actually find out what the games are about because those names aren’t telling me a whole lot.”

“Except the how do you know your spouse one. That one’s probably a lost case since, you know, we haven’t seen each other in years.” She finishes skeptically.

“Who knows, maybe we know more about each other than we let on.” Sooyoung winks, but she kinda agrees with Seungwan on this one. Oh well, they’ll just have to excel at the rest of the games.

She chooses to ignore what one called Kiss-Off could actually entail.

Soon enough the area starts to fill up with couples, young for the most part, and they also see Kim Yerim approaching the mic, holding a box filled with what she guesses are the props needed for whatever it is they’re about to do.

She’s wearing her characteristic coral uniform and her hair is up in pigtails. Suddenly another girl who looks just as young, tiny with tattoos in her arms and short black hair walks towards her. She whispers something in Yerim’s ear who only nods in reply.

Sooyoung’s pulled out of her staring only when she hears Seungwan whisper _oh my god_. She turns around, alarmed, trying to catch whatever Seungwan’s looking at. “What is it?”

“Bae Joohyun’s here.” She mutters quietly, like this Bae Joohyun person could hear her even when there’s no one standing next to them at least within one meter of distance.

Sooyoung frowns. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“I suppose not.” Seungwan turns to her. “Her father is the CEO to Velvet Model Management, and she’s bound to inherit the company. Also she’s like, the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“Well, that sounds great for the person she married.” Sooyoung crosses her arms and huffs.

“Her wife’s not far behind, actually. Have you heard of Kang Seulgi?”

“Kang Seulgi as in, director and choreographer Kang Seulgi?” Seungwan nods. “Of course! I’ve watched all her movies. Momo loves her. I’m pretty sure she got us to learn one of her choreographies back in college.”

“Yep. So they’re pretty much a power couple to us mortals. Oh, Jisoo would flip right now.”

Out of nowhere, a loud noise explodes from one of the speakers, making people’s heads turn towards it. Yerim adjusts the mic and the sound stops. She smiles apologetically and brings it to her lips. “Sorry about that, we always have technical problems on the first day.”

The guests who were chilling at the pool pay it no mind, going back to whatever they were doing. The ones standing at the activity area keep their eyes trained on the blonde girl, though. It appeared like everyone who was participating had already arrived.

Yerim’s probably had the same thought because her next words echo through the speaker. “I guess it’s time to make it official then! Welcome to the Dream Weaver Couple Competition, where you all will be participating for the grand prize of a romantic dinner and, hopefully, to have a great time. You don’t get a refund if you don’t anyway.”

Sooyoung can’t help but let out a sharp laugh at that, the irony too much. Non refundable.

“As you may have already seen on the schedule, we have 3 games programmed per day, except the last one, which will be a scavenger hunt. We hope you’ll know your ship by then.” She grins. “The first game for today is Say What? And even though points will be awarded as a couple, we’ll be making up teams for it.”

That seems to get the audience talking, whispers can be heard from around the crowd.

“The game is simple — we’ll make the four of you stand in a line and we’ll put headphones over your head, blasting with the finest music selection. Then the first one of the row will be shown a short phrase, and you’ll have to pass it on until it reaches the last one of you, who’ll say it out-loud. You earn the points if the phrase is correct.” She finishes. “Does anyone have any questions?”

“So we can’t utter the words out-loud unless we are the last person in the line?” A tall guy with brown hair asks.

“You can, that’s what the headphones are for. But only what the last person says is taken into account for the score.” Yerim replies. “Anyone else?”

There’s a few shrugs and more whispering but the game sounded simple enough.

“Alright then, my lovely friend Chaeyoung here will be picking papers at random to form the teams, all fair and square.” She takes a jar with pieces of paper inside it and extends it towards the short haired girl from earlier.

Yerim puts the mic in front of Chaeyoung’s lips. She takes the first piece and reads it. “Bae Joohyun and Kang Seulgi will be teaming up with…” Everyone seems to be buzzing with excitement. “Park Sooyoung and Son Seungwan.”

Sooyoung’s eyes go wide and she can hear Seungwan’s breath hitch from where she’s standing next to her.

“Well, there you go! Our first team! Please step forward so we can see you.”

“Shit, Wan, that’s us. Come on.” She takes Seungwan’s hand and drags her through the crowd to where Yerim and Chaeyoung break into some clapping, the rest following slowly.

The blonde girl greets them. “It’s great to see you again!”

“You too.” Sooyoung also throws a smile Chaeyoung’s way for good measure.

Just as Yerim’s about to voice something through the mic again, coming out of the multitude, appear none other than Bae Joohyun and Kang Seulgi.

She can feel Seungwan’s hold on her hand tighten.

“Hello Yerim.” The smaller one says, her voice silky and quiet, a tiny smile on her lips. Her long, straight black hair was covered by a beach hat and her attire looked as expensive as you would expect from the heir of a model company. Seungwan was right, she was probably one of the prettiest women she’s ever seen.

“Hi Joohyun!” Yerim greets back. “Thank you again for being here.”

“Anything for my best child, i suppose.” Joohyun replies, her words sarcastic but her smile still soft. Seulgi, on the other hand, had a huge grin plastered on her face. “Don’t let her fool you into thinking that she’s not enjoying this.”

Joohyun just nudges her on the ribs.

“Well, what are we waiting for then?” Yerim brings the mic back to her lips. “Ladies and gentleman, let’s give it up for our first team.” A small cheer can be heard from the audience. “Now, please wait for us over there while we assemble the rest of the them. We’ll start really soon.”

They’re ushered by another member of the staff to a place on the sidelines. Sooyoung can see through the corner of her eye how Chaeyoung gets her hand into the jar again, but she’s not really paying attention. Instead, she’s focused on Seungwan, who hasn’t said a word ever since their names got called. She leans in and whispers in her ear. “Are you okay?”

All the response she gets is a stiff nod. She’s starting to feel guilty about pushing Seungwan into this whole thing when suddenly a voice addresses them.

It comes in the form of Bae Joohyun.

“Is she alright?” She asks, eyes concerned while looking at Seungwan. “She’s a little pale.”

That seems to spark Seungwan out of her reverie. “I’m—um—i’m fine, Miss Bae. Thank you for asking.”

“Are you sure? Do you want us to fetch you a glass of water or something?” It’s Kang Seulgi who speaks this time, her voice also filled with worry.

Sooyoung can tell their attention is just stressing her out more, so she waves them off. “It’s okay. My frie—my wife here is just a little shy. She just needs a bit of air. Right, darling?” She tries to communicate with just her eyes. Hopefully Seungwan understands.

Seulgi tilts her head. “But we’re outdoors?”

“It’ll just be a minute, we’ll be right back.”

She guides Seungwan away from the group, to a small room around the corner. She closes the door, Yerim’s voice on the mic sounding far away. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

Seungwan looks up. She still looks pale, but maybe a little less than before. “Sorry. I think I kinda panicked back there.” She runs her hands through her hair.

“We don’t have to do this, you know?” Sooyoung tells her gently. “We’ll just call it off and go on our merry way. There’s plenty of ways we can spend our time.”

She wasn’t lying yesterday when she said the least thing she wanted was to make Seungwan uncomfortable or uneasy. This was never part of the original plan anyway.

“No.” Seungwan keeps her hands behind her neck. “We’re going through with it. I said i’d do everything i could for you to have the best time here.”

Sooyoung feel’s warmth bloom in her chest at Seungwan’s words. The fact that the Canadian girl is willing to go so far for her to have a good trip makes her heart grow three sizes. She still doesn’t want her to do anything she doesn’t want to, though. “I’m perfectly fine just being here with you. Without the extras.”

But Seungwan seems to have made up her mind. “Let’s win that dinner.” Her voice is strong and determination flaring is in her eyes, no trace of the doubt that was engulfing her a few minutes ago.

Sooyoung just shakes her head, feeling amused. “Okay then. Let’s do it.”

They walk back to the meeting point, more specifically, to where their now teammates were whispering and pointing at the still-going sorting ceremony.

Sooyoung looks at Seungwan one last time, who gives her a firm nod and a close-lipped smile. She didn’t see that expression in her often, but it made her look damn attractive.

“I’m sorry about that.” The older girl begins as they stand next to Joohyun and Seulgi. “Pre-competition nerves, i guess. I’m Seungwan and this is my lovely wife Sooyoung.” She extends her hand out, both girls shaking it calmly. Sooyoung does the same thing, trying to flash her best charming smile.

“It’s alright! We were just worried, you went as white as a ghost for a moment there.” Seulgi’s grin is as big as earlier, her eyes crinkling. She was also wearing a pair of shorts and a crop top that looked straight from a designer’s table. Or however high-end fashion worked. “I’m Seulgi. This is Joohyun.”

“Hi.” Joohyun smiles sheepishly. Her whole aura gave off elegance and class yet there was nothing snobbish about it. It was the same thing with Seulgi. If Sooyoung didn’t know better, it would never cross her mind that they’re a couple of famous millionaires. Alright, maybe yes to the millionaires because of their clothes but the point still stands.

“Oh, we know who you are.” Sooyoung smirks. “Seungwan here is a huge fan, aren’t you?”

She enjoys the way Seungwan’s cheeks color. The older girls just snicker quietly. “Don’t listen to her, she’s being annoying. But yes, i’ve followed some of your work and you’re both really talented.”

“Thank you.” They say in unison, making them both beam like it’s something that happens often. How cute.

In the background, Yerim keeps calling names to the front. Sooyoung wonders how many people actually signed up for this.

“There’s quite the turn up, isn’t there?” Seungwan voices, as if she’d read her mind.

“Well, Yerim can be quite convincing.” Joohyun replies before Sooyoung can say anything.

“Her energy is contagious. It looks like she’s putting so much effort into this.”

“You have no idea.”

“Do you guys know her?” Sooyoung asks curiously.

“We do.” Joohyun’s voice is laced with affection. “She’s kinda the reason why we’re here, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“Joohyun and I first met on a cruise just like this, a few years ago.” Seulgi’s eyes sparkle as she recalls. “We were dancing circles around each other the whole trip until one night, Yerim convinced me to ask her out. Turns out, she’d convinced Joohyun too.”

“A menace, she is. Calls herself a mastermind.” Joohyun shakes her head. “We kept contact with her but she’s a free spirit. Always traveling all around the world.”

“She does seem like that type.” Seungwan agrees, glancing at the bubbly girl who was hyping up the crowd.

“We didn’t expect to run into her here. We picked a honeymoon cruise because well… we’re romantic, i guess.”

“Aww, i think it’s sweet.” Sooyoung coos. “And the fact that Yerim’s here. Destiny!”

“And now she’s managed to convince us to join her couples’ challenge thingy.” Joohyun concludes.

“You’re saying that like you aren’t the most competitive person in the world.” Seulgi tells her. Joohyun just shrugs. “Maybe.”

“No way, blood will be shed then. We’ll end up wifeless, Seulgi.” Seungwan clutches at her heart dramatically, making the other two girls laugh.

“Thank you for your support, honey.” Sooyoung replies sarcastically.

They make some more conversation until Chaeyoung comes over, taking a small bow and asking them if they’re ready to begin. “Have you picked your places?”

“What do you mean?” Seulgi questions.

“As in, who’ll be standing first in line and all that.”

They all stare at each other, looking lost.

“You can switch between rounds by the way. In case the original order doesn’t work.”

“Oh, alright. Um, what do you say, i’ll go first, then Sooyoung, Seulgi, and Joohyun at the end?” Seungwan suggests.

“Sounds fine by me.” Joohyun nods.

“Any particular strategy to that order?” Sooyoung raises an eyebrow.

“Nope. We’ll just have to do our best.”

“Okay then. Let’s go.”

-

Turns out that first order had not worked. At all.

Sooyoung didn’t want to admit it, but she was a black hole.

She was having the hardest time understanding what Seungwan was trying to say. No matter how much she opened her mouth and tried to slow the spelling of the words, her time was running out and she’d already missed half of the phrase.

Then when she passed it on to Seulgi, things did not get better at all. She could see confusion plastered over the older girls’ face, her eyebrows in deep frowns as she failed to decipher whatever Sooyoung was trying to convey.

That’s how they’d ended up changing the phrase ‘adventure starts today’, into ‘anybody explains the paint’. Which made absolutely no sense and was not even a little bit close to the original.

So they’d had to have a team-back of sorts while the others went through the first round to figure out the best order.

In the end, they’d settled for switching her and Seungwan’s places, Sooyoung arguing that she had to admit for the greater good that she was terrible at reading lips and that it would be better if she was the opener.

Second round came and in a god sent miracle, they managed to do a lot better.

In a twist of events, Seungwan could actually read lips a lot better than expected, and she and Seulgi seemed to have a mutual understanding of what was going on.

They’d managed to bag 2 out of 3 points when, ironically, Joohyun got one of the words wrong despite the rest of them getting it through correctly.

By the third round, they’d already gotten the hang of it, getting themselves a full score.

The points were given out by couple, so Joohyun and Seulgi had earned 50 points (each word got 10 points) just like them. They were tied in third place, two of the other teams with 70 & 60 points respectively.

“Third place is not so bad, we could’ve done a lot worse. Especially with that disastrous first round.” Seungwan says as she looks at the scoreboard.

“I agree.” Seulgi says as she sips from one of the beverages that had been delivered to them while they waited for the staff to arrange the next game. “Plus, it was fun! I can’t believe you didn’t get that last word, Joohyunie.” She chuckles quietly.

“Don’t even get me started. We would be tied for second place.” Joohyun facepalms.

“We still have plenty of games to go.” Sooyoung rubs some sunscreen over her arms, the daylight harsh on her pale skin. “Even though this young friendship may be about to wither.”

“How come?”

“Because the next games aren’t played in teams.” Seungwan completes. “We’ll have to go against each other.”

“Exactly. It’s a shame we’ll have to leave you in the dust. I’m sorry, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.” Sooyoung smiles mischievously.

Joohyun just crosses her arms, looking every bit like the boss she probably is in her daily life. “We’ll see about that, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter than usual updates because i don't want to lose my writing streak but i'm just so busy with real life that i barely have time to do it. :(
> 
> [curious cat](http://curiouscat.me/fireproofs) // [twitter](http://twitter.com/rvlouvie)


	6. Chapter 6

VI.

_how the fuck are you having breakfast with bae joohyun and kang seulgi?!?!!_

Seungwan chuckles out loud at Jisoo’s message. 

Jisoo hadn’t believed her at first and honestly, Seungwan couldn’t blame her. Having breakfast with an almost-CEO and her famous multi-skilled wife wasn’t something that happened on a daily basis. So, using her kinda-professional photographer skills, she’d managed to sneak a picture of their newly found cruise companions and sent it to Jisoo, awaiting for her reaction. She wasn’t disappointed.

_is she as pretty as she looks in pictures?_

_you have no idea._

Seungwan wasn’t completely sure how it came to be either. One minute she was having a mental breakdown and the next, she’d ended up bonding with the other couple after that disastrous first game. 

The next ones had been a little bit better. In the end though, the results had found Sooyoung and her in third place, much to the former’s dismay. Joohyun and Seulgi, on the other hand, had managed to climb up to number two. Seungwan congratulated them cheerfully and, surprisingly, the older girls had asked them to join in the bar for a few drinks. 

Joohyun and Seulgi were so different from what she would’ve expected. For such a rich, powerful, talented couple, they were extremely humble and down to earth. They treated everyone kindly and were, both together and individually, very pleasant people to be around. 

Seungwan hadn’t even known them for a day but she was starting to forget who they were supposed to be at all. 

Sooyoung and her had unexpectedly run into them this morning at one of the ship’s restaurants. Not wanting to interrupt, they’d been aiming for a quick word of acknowledgement; however, the other couple seemed to have other plans, politely insisting they join them once again.

And that’s how she’d ended up having breakfast with Bae Joohyun and Kang Seulgi.

_you’re living the life. ugh i wish i were sooyoung’s fake wife instead.  
_ _how’s that going, by the way?_

Ah, that. Seungwan steals a look at the woman sitting next to her and can’t help the soft smile forming on her lips.

Sooyoung ate her food quietly, her attention focused on whatever Seulgi was talking about. Her posture was relaxed, as if the couple they were currently hanging with were her life long best friends and not someone they met yesterday. Seungwan clearly remembers how she’d always been good with people. 

Seulgi says something funny, or maybe it was Joohyun, Seungwan doesn’t know because she never takes her eyes off the younger girl. Sooyoung laughs, loud and open, bringing her hand to her mouth, eyes twinkling under the light coming from the window beside them.

_i’m doomed and it’s no one’s fault but my own._

“What do you think, Seungwan?”

She blinks, taken off guard since she wasn’t actually listening to the conversation. 

“Um.” They’re all staring at her now. Might as well come clean. “I kinda blanked out for a bit, i’m sorry.”

“It’s understandable.” Joohyun looks between the two of them, her expression gentle, as if she had noticed her staring. Seungwan tries not to feel embarrassed. “Anyway, we were just talking about snorkeling. Apparently, the port we’re stopping at today is perfect for it.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good. I’ve never snorkled before.” She supplies, doing a piss poor job at nonchalance. 

“We neither! That’s why we paid for an expedition. I’m so excited.” Seulgi smiles wides, eyes crinkling and barely noticeable. Seungwan can tell she doesn’t have a single bad bone in her body. 

Her mind’s barely beginning to formulate a response when something makes Seungwan’s head whip.

“I’m sitting this one out. I can’t swim.”

“You can’t swim?” She’s looking at Sooyoung skeptically.

The younger girl shrugs. “No. Never learned how.”

Seungwan’s brows are completely furrowed now. “But we were in the pool the first day!”

“I mean, i can float if really needed i guess, but that’s it. I stayed on the kids’ side.” Sooyoung takes a sip from her coffee, apparently unbothered.

Joohyun tips her head slightly. If she’s wondering something, she doesn’t voice it.

Silence settles over the table, only the sound of cutlery and distant chatter filling the gap.

“What are you guys planning for today then?” Seulgi asks after a short while, wiping at her mouth with a napkin, her plate almost empty. 

“Uh… i took some time to research last night.” Seungwan starts, wanting to contribute something of substance to the conversation this time. “There’s this place called La Laguna de los Siete Colores not so far from the dock. You can ride bikes or cannoe around the lake, plus the sight is beautiful, if the pictures are anything to go by.” She hopes she doesn’t sound like too much of a nerd for actually looking up the ship’s destinations on Google. 

Anxiety rises in her chest as soon as the words leave her mouth. What if Sooyoung doesn’t want to go cannoeing? She didn’t know that the younger girl can’t swim, what if she can’t ride a bike either? What if the whole thing just sounds too boring?

She turns to address her accomplice only to find that Sooyoung is already staring at her, the curves of her mouth turning up sightly. Her voice is fruity when she answers the question Seungwan doesn’t even get to ask. “I guess that’s where we’ll be going today, then.”

-

Her fingers are intertwined with Sooyoung’s as they bid their goodbyes to Joohyun and Seulgi, wishing them luck with the whole diving-into-the-deep-sea thing. The sun is harsh on their pale skin, just as you’d expect from the tropical Caribbean. The weather is humid, though, making Seungwan feel clammy under her cotton shirt.

The dock is full of people chatting happily while gazing at their surrounding or taking pictures. They do the same for a bit, white sand going over miles, the blue water so clear it sparkles under the morning light. Seungwan’s eyes catch on an elderly couple sitting under the shade of a tree, holding what she thinks it’s a raw coconut and drinking directly from it. 

“Alright then, you’re the expert. Where to?” There’s palm hat adorning Sooyoung’s long black hair which is currently held up in a ponytail. 

Seungwan isn’t really sure how anything works, despite having read a few comments about the place on tourist sites. “Well, the internet said there’s usually people offering you tours and stuff when you get off the ship. So maybe we should look around?” 

“Okay!” Sooyoung doesn’t say anything else as she drags her towards a small wooden cabin, never releasing her hand.

When they get inside, there’s rows next to rows of what Seungwan can only describe as souvenirs. There’s classics, like keychains and magnets, and some more peculiar ones like ceramic plates with colorful patterns next to the port’s name. The whole place just feels vibrant, despite it only being illuminated by a small window and the slender light coming from the door.

They finally let go of each other as they browse through different parts of the store, Seungwan particularly amused by a shirt with a very-toned torso printed on it. After a while, she goes to look for Sooyoung, whose attention seems to be caught by something near the register. 

“What is it?” Seungwan tries peeking over her shoulder, having to stand on her tip toes to do so. 

“Chocolate.” Sooyoung replies, eyes focused on the box she’s currently holding. “But i think it’s spicy.”

“What do you mean? Chocolate’s supposed to be sweet.”

“I know, but unless my kindergarden-level spanish is failing me, it says chile right here. And that means spicy.” Sooyoung shrugs.

Seungwan picks up another one of the boxes from the counter and turns it around her fingers. She confirms what Sooyoung’s saying but the combination still seems too bizarre for her.

“That’s correct.” A foreign, thick-accented voice takes them by surprise. “It’s a national tradition to make every single thing we can spicy.” 

They turn around to see a petite girl with caramel skin and dark eyes. It doesn’t look like she’s wearing an uniform and, if it weren’t for the fact that there’s a nametag pinned to her chest, Seungwan would’ve thought she was just another costumer. 

“I’m not much of a spice person, to be honest. It just caught my attention because i’ve never seen anything like it before.” Sooyoung chuckles while putting the candy back on the shelf.

Seungwan’s eyes stop at a pink-colored box with green sparkly letters that read ‘tequila-flavored white chocolate’. Or at least, that’s what she believes it says. She reaches out and shifts towards the employee, who is still staring at them with a retail smile. “Does this say tequila flavored?”

She nods. 

“Nice. I think i’ll get some of these for my friend back home.” Seungwan hands them over. She’s not sure if Jisoo’s much of a sweets person but she is sure that she’ll appreciate the irony of the apparent tequila flavor.

“Great!” Maria, which is the name on the girl’s tag, takes the chocolates and moves to the register. “Is there anything else you want to take with you?”

“I’m alright, thank you. What about you, Sooyoung?” 

Sooyoung ponders, eyes scanning the shop again. “I want to get something for Juyeon and Momo but i don’t have anywhere to carry it right now.”

“Oh damn, you’re right.” All Seungwan was carrying was a small bag that contained her camera, but there was not enough space to carry the box and since the tour—that they still had not inquired about, she just realizes—is supposed to include hiking and some other activities of the sort, she can’t really afford to be holding them in her hands the entire time. “We were kind of looking for one of the adventure-like type of tours.” She hopes the employee gets the question in her voice.

“You came in the ship that just docked this morning, right?”

“Yes! We’re on our honeymoon.” Sooyoung answers first, words flowing easily despite the lie. Seungwan follows her statement with a firm nod just because. 

“Congratulations. I hope you’ll live a happy life together.” Maria’s words are genuine. “If you’re looking for a tour, i have a friend who could help you out with that. And if you actually want to purchase something from here, i could keep it apart for you and you can just take it before you board the ship again.”

“That sounds great, thank you so much.” Seungwan replies sincerely, feeling glad that they won’t have to spend half of the day looking for someone to help them out.

In the end, Sooyoung ends up getting hand-embroidered tops for the three of them (when Seungwan raises an eyebrow in question, the younger girl just shrugs and says they sometimes like matching their clothes as a sign of friendship. Some type of inside joke). She also gets her parents two bags of organic coffee beans, Juyeon’s girlfriend a pair of earrings and a ceramic cup for her boss. 

Seungwan tries not to feel lonesome as her singular gift is placed on a bag in one of the back shelves.

-

They waited around for a bit while the guy Maria knew arrived. She had other costumers to attend to but she directed them to a small sitting area outside of the cabin, offering them some coconut water just like the one that Seungwan had noticed a few tourists drinking earlier. 

“It’s probably redundant to say it’s so fresh considering it’s straight out of the fruit but…” Sooyoung tips her head back as if taking a shot. “I love it.”

Seungwan doesn’t mean to stare at her long, uncovered neck, but there’s a little bit of liquid trailing down and it’s mesmerizing. God damn Sooyoung and her ability to make even messy drinking attractive.

“What?”

“Nothing. You’ve just…” She signals to her own neck awkwardly. “Got a little bit of…” 

“Oh.” Sooyoung’s hand comes to wipe at it. “Thanks. It would’ve probably been neater to use a straw but. The turtles and all that.” 

“Sure. Plus you wouldn’t get the full experience, i guess.” Seungwan had managed to drink out of her coconut without spilling, but she doesn’t think that’s an achievement worth noting.

“I wonder where Maria’s friend is. I really want to get going. I love nature.”

“Really? I was kinda scared that you’d find the whole thing boring.” She doesn’t mean for it to sound so pathetic. It does anyway.

“Are you kidding? I love animals so much. And plants. And breathing non-polluted oxygen.” Sooyoung takes a deep breath to emphasize her words. “Do—My ex and I, we agreed on a honeymoon cruise mostly because it was easy and neither of us had much time to plan every stop. But like you found out earlier i can’t really swim.” Her smile is self-deprecating. “So yeah. While i do like the beach and all that, i’m plenty happy that we’ll get to do something else.”

Seungwan tilts her head, a little taken aback by Sooyoung’s sudden spurt of words. “We really don’t know much about each other, do we?”

“Well, i know that you love singing.” Sooyoung crosses her arms defensively. “That hasn’t changed, has it?” 

Seungwan really wishes the smile could reach her eyes. “No, it hasn’t.”

Sooyoung narrows her eyes at her like she suspects that she’s not being entirely truthful. In her defense, she isn’t. “Are you sure? Your eyes used to sparkle whenever you talked about it. I may not know you like i used to, Son Seungwan, but i can tell that there’s something you’re not telling me.”

She really doesn’t want to talk about it. One of the reasons she agreed to this trip was so that she could get away from her boring, mostly disappointing daily life. Then again, so was Sooyoung and yet she had been nothing but honest about her struggles so far. (Except for the whole this-is-my honeymoon-gift surprise, of course. Seungwan wishes she could hold it against her. She can’t). She contemplates telling her, everything that has been wearing her down and tugging at her heart for a while. She feels so lonely most of the time, maybe letting out some of it would do her good.

But before she can begin to explain, a voice she has never heard before interrupts them.

“Hello! My name is Pablo and i was sent here by Maria. I was told you were looking for an excursion-like type of tour.” A guy wearing an outfit similar to the girl they met earlier grins widely at them. Maybe she was wearing a uniform after all.

Sooyoung looks like she isn’t sure if she wants to thank him politely or tell him to go away. She takes one last glance at Seungwan and settles on the first one. “Yes, we are. We’d be really glad if you could help.”

“Absolutely. Follow me please.” 

They’re walking a few paces behind Pablo, feet sinking in the soft sand below them, when Seungwan feels something tickle her ear, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand. “Don’t think our conversation is over, miss Seungwan. I’ll get it out of you sooner or later.”

Sooyoung winks and fastens her step, leaving Seungwan to wonder just exactly how could she ever believe that this was not going to end without wanting the ground to swallow her whole.

-

Before them stood the place Seungwan had read about on the internet, the one that had piqued her interest in the first place. La Laguna de los Siete Colores was named like that because well, you could see different shades of blue shimmer throughout the whole body of water. Life was simple sometimes, Seungwan thought. 

They’d been brought here in a track-van of sorts after being reunited with a few other couples that had also requested the excursion. The rest of it was on foot though, so they got off and followed as they listened to the tourist guide talk about the history of the places with the expertise only someone who has been doing this for a long time could.

The sight was beautiful. Seungwan had seen the pictures, but no matter how good a photography was, it never compared to the real thing. That’s one of the things she liked about it. You got the best of both worlds: the subjective memory that will probably evoke an emotion out of you when you think about it and the objective, timeless one that you can always turn to in case your mind plays tricks on you. 

“Is your favorite color still blue?”

Sooyoung’s question was quiet, as if she didn’t want anyone to hear. It’d probably be a little unsettling not knowing your spouse’s favorite color. 

She takes her eyes away from the scene before her to turn to the other girl, who doesn’t seem to be paying attention to the landscape, eyes focused on the older girl instead. Seungwan feels hot under her gaze, that could only be described as fond.

“Yeah. It still is.” Her voice comes out just as soft. “Is yours still green?”

“Yeah.” 

Seungwan can’t hold her stare so she turns back to the lake. 

“Maybe not that much has changed.”

Maybe my feelings never went away, she admits silently to herself. 

She’s too grown to pretend she doesn’t know the biggest reason why she agreed to this whole trip. She’s too grown to pretend that, had it not been Sooyoung the one calling, she would’ve made up a shit excuse and hung up without even attempting five minutes of small talk.

“You still make jokes out of every situation ever.” Sooyoung’s also gazing into the clear water now. 

“And you still run into things because you’re too focused taking in your surroundings to notice.” 

That earns her a dramatic gasp from the younger girl. “I do not!” 

Seungwan can’t help the laugh that escapes her throat. “Yes, you do! I just saw you almost run into a tree earlier because you were too entranced watching some birds.”

She huffs indignantly, the soft, fragile atmosphere of the moment broken by the petulant pout on her face. “So i have long legs, sue me.”

“What has that got to do with anything?!” 

“I don’t know, i just wanted to remind you that i’m taller than you.” Sooyoung sticks her tongue out. Like a child.

“I can’t believe you.” 

“Eh, excuse me.” They both turn around at the same time. “I hope i’m not interrupting anything but we kinda have to keep moving.” The tourist guide, whose name Seungwan doesn’t really remember, signals to the rest of the group apologetically. 

“Of course, sorry.” Sooyoung blinks sheepishly. If she weren’t a lawyer she would’ve made a damn good actress, Seungwan thinks. “Just a little discussion between an old married couple, right, darling?” There’s a glint in her eye, like she’s daring her to disagree. 

And oh, Seungwan is not going to be left behind in her little game. If, for whatever reason, Sooyoung wants everyone to truly believe that they’re married, then so be it.

“We’re not old.” She turns to the taller girl and, with a sudden boldness she doesn’t even know where it came from, looks her right in the eye. “But we’ve been together for so long it’s starting to feel like it. Let’s go.”

She takes Sooyoung’s hand, the poor tourist guide probably thinking he does not get paid enough to deal with stuff like this.

-

Much, much later, Seungwan would come to realize that was the exact moment her real downfall began.

-

The humid temperature, the blinding sun and the fact that they’d been walking for the past half an hour were making Seungwan sweat horribly. 

Thankfully, the guide seemed to come to a stop in a place next to the lake that looked like a layoff. She could also make out a small dock in the distance.

“Well, we’re finally here. You can pick your poison: if it’s the lake, you can pick canoeing, snorkeling or you can simply get in it as long as you stay near the shore. This side of it is pretty shallow so it should be no big deal.” He turns around and signals towards a wooden cabin, more open than the one where they’d bought the souvenirs in. It was more like a desk, actually. “We can also provide bikes or special hiking trips for those of you that feel particularly adventurous. And over there,” His hand points to another wooden cabin, much bigger than the first. “There’s a restaurant in case you get hungry. It has bathroom, showers and what not, in case you need them.”

“So. What are we going now, my dear?” Sooyoung sing-songs.

Seungwan rolls her eyes. “Why should I pick? I already picked going on this tour. It’s your turn.”

Sooyoung looks like she wants to argue but she keeps quiet instead. After a few seconds she says, “Alright, then. Let’s canoe.”

“Really?” Seungwan doesn’t know why she feels surprised she picked that. She supposes that after the whole ‘i can’t swim’ debacle, Sooyoung would’ve picked something that doesn’t directly involve water.

“I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not like i’m gonna fall into the lake, am i?” Her smile turns mischievous. “And if i do, well. Guess you’ll have to jump in and rescue me.”

Seungwan fake-sighs. “You’re right. Worst case scenario both of us end up drowning. On our honeymoon. Not even Shakespeare went that far, but at least we’ll make the local papers.”

“What are we waiting for, then?”

After making their request at the wooden desk (and after yet another married-like discussion because when they were asked if they both knew how to swim as a safety precaution, Sooyoung lied about it which made Seungwan worry. They argued for five minutes before the employee intervened, saying it was okay if either of them didn’t because they would be wearing life vests anyway. Just that they’d have to be more careful) they were led to the small dock Seungwan had seen earlier, where they were given some really ugly, bright orange life vests.

Sooyoung frowned at them. Seungwan tried not to laugh.

“Not your style, huh?” 

“Stop laughing. I’m very serious about the aesthetic.” Her voice was whiny, like it really did pain her to use something so un-fashion.

“Well, for the record, i still think you look good in it.”

Oops. She didn’t exactly mean for that thought to materialize itself in the form of words but oh well.

Sooyoung shrugged the life vest on. “You better. I’m your wife.” 

Seungwan rolled her eyes again. She was starting to believe Sooyoung really liked to call herself someone’s wife.

Of course, stupid. She was getting married.

“Miss, are you ready to ride?”

A boy who looked much younger than them addressed her, a small white boat at his side. Seungwan isn’t sure where it came from, she could’ve sworn it wasn’t there a minute ago.

She was going to start running into things too if she didn’t get it together soon.

“Yeah, of course.” 

She went in first, just incase Sooyoung needed help from the inside of the canoe. She may have been joking earlier about both of then drowning but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a small worry in the back of her mind. Except Sooyoung didn’t need help because despite her long limbs, like she’d said earlier, she wasn’t that clumsy.

Sooyoung was at the front and she was at the back, which gave her a first row view of how her luscious ponytail shimmered under the sunlight. God, she was so thankful Jisoo couldn’t catch her fawning over hair. How embarrassing.

“You ladies know how to do this?”

It was the boy’s voice again. 

“Not really.” Sooyoung said nonchalantly. “But we’ll figure it out.”

He shrugged like that was enough of an answer, giving them the basic instructions. 

“There’s barely any current here, so unless you paddle, you won’t go far. You’ll see some signs that limit the canoeing area. Any point inside of that should be fair ground.” He blinks. “Or water, more like.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“We need you to be back here before 5pm so we can take you to the port where your ship is.”

“Noted.” 

Seungwan returned the bow he politely gave her, and they were off.

-

“You know, we’re actually not so bad at this.”

Seungwan couldn’t tell if Sooyoung was being sarcastic or not, because it sounded like she wasn’t, but at the same time, they’d moved what Seungwan guesses was around ten meters in the past hour.

“Sooyoung. We’ve barely moved.”

“But we’ve moved, and that’s something good.”

She says it so sincerely, like a kid showing off their first drawing that no one but themselves understand, yet they deem it a masterpiece, that Seungwan doesn’t think she could take it away from her if it killed her.

“Okay. Let’s keep rowing, then.”

They do, and again, they’re barely moving, but at least the landscape is different now. There’s beautiful green all around them, the sounds of the forest filling the silence comfortably. 

She watches Sooyoung let go of her paddles for a while, just taking in the scene. She closes her eyes, seemingly at peace with nature. 

Seungwan suddenly wished she hadn’t left her camera back at the lockers inside the cabin, too afraid it would get messed up if water got on it. This was a moment she wanted to capture.

Her memory would have to suffice this time.

Sooyoung opens one of her eyes and Seungwan looks away, cheeks flaming at being caught staring.

“Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies. Have you seen it?”

Seungwan blinks, not expecting such a random question.

“Is that the rapunzel one where her mom is an evil witch?” 

“That one.” Sooyoung’s eyes are still closed. “It may sound stupid and childish but… i picked canoeing because i just really, really love the scene with the lights. This is as close to it as i’m going to get.”

Seungwan could physically feel her heart melting in her chest. No, she did not care that wasn’t possible. She could feel it anyway.

“I—um.” Very coherent. Excellent choice of words. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” She leaves it at that, too afraid anything else will just crack a open a dam of everything she has always wanted to say.

There was no point now.

“Thank you, Seungwan. For being here with me.”

Sooyoung had turned her whole body around now, her lips were turned up just slightly, head bowed sheepishly. They were at arms-length distance yet Seungwan really wanted to reach out. 

She settled for squeezing Sooyoung’s hand since any other type of movement would probably have them toppling over. 

“I missed you, Sooyoung. I’m glad we get to meet each other again.”

They stay like that, hands linked together for a short while, both seemingly lost in their own minds, quietly enjoying the scene around them.

“We should get going.” Seungwan announces, looking at her wrist watch. “At the pace we move, there’ll barely be enough time for us to make it. As nice as this place is, Jisoo will kill me if i just leave her alone in Korea.”

“We barely moved, didn’t we?” Sooyoung finally admits, taking her paddle again.

“Well, at least it won’t be such a long way back.”

-

They make it to the small dock in one piece, much to the employee’s delight. They probably hated it when they had to clean up after the mess some of their clients left. Seungwan knows she would.

They had sometime left to have a quick snack before the van-bus-whatever came to get them. Apparently, the on-foot part of the trail was only while getting there. They would be driven back to the main dock from here.

“Now that’s what i call a pleasant surprise. I’m actually starting to feel so tired.” Sooyoung stretches her limbs as if to prove her point. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be able to rest soon enough.” Seungwan replies, feeling a bit tired as well. Who knew she was so out of shape?

Their transportation finally arrives and they board along the other couples that had paid for this trip. They ride on the open part of the bus, the speed making the wind chill on Seungwan’s skin. As the sun went down, so did the temperature, making for the whole thing much more pleasant.

Seungwan could feel Sooyoung beginning to doze off on her shoulder, and she tried to sit as upright as she could so the younger girl wouldn’t be in such an uncomfortable position.

Soon enough, she could feel the entire weight of Sooyoung’s body on her, meaning she had actually fallen asleep. Seungwan sighed. Today had been tiring both physically and emotionally. She couldn’t wait to have a shower and go to bed in the very comfy mattress awaiting in the fancy ship room.

Her eyes were stating to droop too when out of nowhere, a voice snapped her awake. “Hey, could i, uh, have your camera?” 

If she hadn’t been so aware of the fact that she had a whole sleeping woman leaning on her, she probably would’ve whipped her entire body out of surprise. But that was not the case, so all she did was carefully move enough to address the person talking to her without disturbing Sooyoung. “Excuse me?”

The man who’d asked the question was currently scratching the back of her neck, probably out of embarrassment. He was young, a bit younger than her maybe and he had light brown hair. She had seem him before. He was sitting next to another man who was looking at him with amusement in his eyes and who, Seungwan assumed, was his husband. 

“I’m sorry, i didn’t meant to sound so blunt.” He hadn’t, but Seungwan was too tired to discuss, so she just let him talk. “My name’s Mingyu. This is my husband, Minghao.” He gestured unnecessarily to the man next to him, who just nodded at Seungwan. “We’re in the same ship as you and your wife.”

She wasn’t a huge fan of small talk but she didn’t want to be rude either and these guys seemed nice enough. As good of a distraction as any. “Right, i’ve seen you before. I’m just not sure where. I’m Seungwan. The unresponsive one is Sooyoung.” She adds, smiling softly.

“The dumb couples competition Gyu signed us on.” The black haired guy, Minghao, shakes his head. “I think that’s where i’ve seen you.” 

“Hey! It’s fun. And entertaining.” 

“If you say so.” Minghao rolls his eyes but there’s fondness in his voice.

_That's couples who are actually married._

“Anyway, as i was originally saying.” Mingyu addresses Seungwan again. “I asked you for your camera because i saw you taking some pictures earlier in the day. I’m guessing you’re a photographer, or you like photography, at least.” 

She didn’t really understand where this was going, but alright. “Part-time photographer.”

“So are we.” Sooyoung chooses that exact moment to switch her position a bit but doesn’t actually wake. Mingyu looks relieved at that. Seungwan still doesn’t understand.

“I’d like to take a picture of you both. From where we’re standing—or sitting, more like—it makes for a beautiful sight. I know that, if it were me, i would like to cherish it.” 

Her reaction fell somewhere between puzzled and moved. She guessed it was kinda cute. Extremely random and maybe a little weird but cute nonetheless.

“Alright.” She tries to maneuver her camera out of it’s bag. “Here you go.”

Seungwan probably shouldn’t be trusting something she treasures so much to complete strangers but honestly, neither of them look like they could hurt a fly, so. She’s not used to appear on pictures so she feels all kinds of awkward just sitting there, attempting her best smile while the couple in front of her discuss which photo settings to use. 

After a little she ends up turning around to look out the window (or the place where a window should be, since this truck has no windows), the sky’s soft glow different shades of pink and orange, sun beginning to lay low in the horizon. The ocean gleams under the barely concealed light and the palm leaves dance slowly to the rhythm of the afternoon wind. Seungwan understands what Mingyu means by a beautiful sight then. She can’t help but let out a small chuckle, aware that she probably looks like one of those people who stare dramatically on car rides while a sad song plays on their earphones.

“What’s funny?”

If Sooyoung’s mouth wasn’t so close to her ear she probably wouldn’t have heard it, voice barely above a whisper. 

Seungwan shakes her head slightly. She wonders if the younger girl really just woke up or if she had been listening all along. “Nothing. Just admiring the view is all.”

Sooyoung’s eyelashes flutter. “The landscape, or me?” 

“Yes, you’re absolutely beautiful while drooling all over my shoulder.” 

“First of all i do not drool.” Sooyoung finally sits upright. “And second, even if i did, you have to love me anyway because i’m supposed to be your wife.”

“Why wouldn’t i love you just because you drool?” Seungwan asks amusedly. 

“I don’t know. But it could happen.” Her arms are crossed and her voice isn’t quite right. Like she’s trying to pretend it doesn’t matter but it actually does.

“Okay. You’re beautiful and i love you even when you’re getting saliva all over my shoulder.” She complies easily.

“Hmm.”

Sooyoung doesn’t seem satisfied with that and while Seungwan doesn’t really get why she seems bothered by something so mundane, she doesn’t want her to be affected by it, so she takes her hand and adds, “I really would love you no matter what, you know that.” 

It’s not a lie. Not romantically maybe, but Sooyoung always had and always will have a special place in Seungwan’s heart. 

Sooyoung sighs defeatedly. “Sorry, i’m just kinda tired.” 

“I know. Just hold on a little longer. We’ll be there soon i think.” 

They sit in silence for some time before someone calls her name again. “Seungwan?”

She turns to see the two men from earlier gazing at them with knowing smiles on their faces. “Oh right.” 

“We didn’t want to interrupt.” Mingyu barely stretches his arms as he passes back her camera. “I hope you like the pictures.”

“I bet they’re lovely. Thank you.” She can sense Sooyoung’s confusion. “Sooyoung, this is Mingyu and Minghao. They’re in the cruise too and they’re photographers.” 

“Nice to meet you.” She smiles politely. Then she seems to come to a realization. “Wait, you’re part of the couples’ competition too, aren’t you?” 

“See, i told you it would be a nice way of making friends.” Mingyu tells his husband, sounding proud.

“Friends? Sooyoung here is out for blood. And she’s not the only one.” Seungwan snickers thinking about how competitive Joohyun is too.

“It’s just free dinner.” Minghao shrugs, his aura cool and collected, like nothing in the world could bother him. Then his lips turn up slightly. “But it is fun to win.”

Soon enough they arrive at the main dock, bidding their goodbyes with the knowledge that would most likely see each other the next day anyway.

“We have to go get the gifts from Maria’s store before boarding.” 

Sooyoung let’s out a small whine. “Suddenly i have no friends. Or parents. Or a boss. I didn’t even go on this trip at all.” 

Seungwan snorts.

“Come on you big baby, the quicker we are the faster we can finally get some rest.”

-

After picking up their souvenirs from the store, they finally returned to the ship and consequently, their now very tidy room, since someone had come to clean it up earlier. They’d fallen face first into their bed, reeling in the comfort of clean sheets and a soft mattress. 

“Let’s order room some service so we don’t have to go out anymore.” Sooyoung’s eyes were closed and her voice was muffled by a pillow.

“Fine by me.”

She had showered first while they waited for the food to arrive. Now it was Sooyoung’s turn, Seungwan occupying herself by checking out the pictures of them that had been taken earlier.

They were beautiful indeed. She tried not to think too much about how she seemed genuinely at peace for a moment. She tried not to think too much about anything, really. 

“Dowhan never let me sleep on his shoulder because he said it would ruin his clothes.”

Her head snaps up to look at Sooyoung, who was now standing in front of a mirror. The words were spoken nonchalantly, but Seungwan could see the way her hand was shaking where she held the towel she was drying her hair with.

“It’s stupid of me to get defensive over something like that. I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have to apologize.” Seungwan’s voice comes out harsher than she intends them, but it just makes her angry that Sooyoung would put herself down for something like that. That someone made her believe she had to put herself down for something like that.

“I know. But i can’t help it.” She opens a drawer and takes out a brush. “It comes to me in flashes. Everything i might have done wrong that he didn’t want to be with me anymore.”

Seungwan wants to argue, wants to lecture Sooyoung on how she most likely didn’t do anything wrong and her ex fiancé is just an asshole. “How could something like that possibly compare to all the positives? It’s absurd.”

“Perhaps not to him.” Her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. All of the sudden she seems exhausted, like a spark inside her has faded. 

It slaps Seungwan in the face with the reality of a situation she keeps forgetting: that Sooyoung was going to get married, that Sooyoung was (is?) in love with someone else, that whatever she feels blooming in her chest sometimes must be stopped and buried if she has any sense of self-preservation.

She feels selfish, thinking about herself when Sooyoung is still hurting from what happened, when she’ll probably still be hurting for a long time. Seungwan needs to be there for her in the way Sooyoung expects her to be — her friend.

“You’ll be okay, Sooyoung. Right now it’s expected that you’re feeling like this, wondering the hows and the whys of everything. But it’ll pass, you’ll heal, and you will be okay.”

The younger girl sniffles a little but she’s not actually crying. Seungwan counts that as a win. “Sorry to end the day in such a tragic note.”

“If you keep apologizing for your feelings i’m gonna have to start one of those ‘put a dollar’ jars. I could really use a car or something.” Seungwan pokes her on the side.

“So—okay. I’ll try to stop.” 

“I’m just saying. You can always talk to me, alright? No matter what.” She stares directly into her eyes. Sooyoung nods. “Good.”

Just in that moment there’s a knock on their door signaling that their food had finally arrived.

“Now let’s have dinner and then go to sleep. We have to be in our best shape.”

Sooyoung moves towards the door. “I think How Well Do You Know Your Spouse is tomorrow. We might flunk it.” 

Considering she found out today about Sooyoung's not-swimming habits, yeah, they might.

“I believe in miracles.”

Seungwan dreams of long legs tripping over white sand that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why this came out sappier-slash-sadder than i intended to. I guess i just miss Wendy too much.
> 
> I'm sorry i just left this to die, real life has been absolutely crazy. I haven't had time to write in months so this is me trying to ease back into it. I hope it's not too terrible and i promise i'll try 1) to post more often and 2) for things to start picking up plot-wise.
> 
> Let's all hope for our Wendy's speedy recovery and for Red Velvet's wellbeing in general. 🖤


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